Chapters Night had fallen over the sleepy little town of Ponyville. All was quiet, like most nights as of late. Most nights.
As of late, this town had been the center of a series of peculiar happenings with very little explanation. Ponies, struck down in the night by an unknown entity. Found shattered like stained glass, and seemingly drained of blood. If that wasn’t enough, there had been blood moons on varying nights. If it was only one, then that might have not have been so odd. After all, singular blood moons were just total lunar eclipses. But several within a week? Now that was cause for alarm.
Now these ponies, they’d been found aside from being drained of blood and shattered like glass, on occasion with a strange symbol beside them. One resembling two massive wings with a half-moon above it.
At first, nobody knew what to think of all of this. Nobody could find a rational explanation for what was going on. Nobody could even have a finger to point at someone or something to blame, not even something from the wilds of the Everfree as no known creature from any bestiary could do any of this. That was, until he showed up. The creature known only as Kiva. Now, at first nobody knew what to call this strange dark creature that with the golden eyes that struck from the shadows, until one scholar living in her oak tree library got curious, and found that hundreds of years ago there existed a creature called Kiva who was known for killing ponies and leaving only mangled, shattered remains behind.
Now everybody knew who to blame.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad for Kiva if there were other suspects that fit the profile, or the ponies he was killing weren’t pillars of the community. Take for example Spoiled Rich, who despite her frankly rather bitchy demeanor had contributed funds to quite a bit to the local school boards -Admittedly, even if only to keep her daughter from being thrown in detention a few times- or Cutting Axe who had provided quite a bit of timber for local construction companies.
Sadly, with nobody else that fit this profile, Kiva continued to be the main suspect in these killings. And the worst part was, nobody knew exactly when the next would be. Perhaps the next night, perhaps later in the week. But life had to go on, as it always did.
The ponies of Ponyville were a defiant -some might say stupid- lot and they couldn’t let themselves live in fear of a monster.
No, life had to go on. It was a unified decision by the town’s populace, to show Kiva that they were not afraid of him or anything he could do to them. One had to respect that decision. Sadly for them, killers didn’t exactly pay much attention to defiance, or particularly care really. No, they had this need to hunt once more, and that time would be coming soon. Very soon as a matter of fact.
It was late one night when it happened. The sun has just begun to set over the horizon, and the night shift for the construction on the new wing of Ponyville’s hospital had just begun.
One Iron Shaft had just started hammering in some nails on what was going to be an inside wall on the new wing, alongside one of his fellow workers Hard Knock.
The night was rather peaceful really, one might even say dull actually. Hammer in one nail, then move onto the next. That was how it was really, settling into the nightly routine.
“...Celestia above,” Iron Shaft remarked. “Be so glad when this whole venture’s over. Been staying up far too late really for my liking, been messing with my entire sleep schedule. Throws my whole internal body clock out of whack, you know?”
“Quit your bitching, we’re getting paid aren’t we?” Hard Knock remarked. “Besides, about the only work we could get really. The boss, he didn’t care what we did in our past lives.”
Iron Shaft sighed to himself, and nodded. That much was true. It was hard for any former criminal to find a steady job, even if in his and Hard Knock’s case their only crimes were just holding up jewelry stores. It wasn’t like they were serial killers. Hell, they hadn’t killed anyone in their entire lives truth be told.
The fact was, they were the furthest thing from stone-cold killers you could find. They abored it, actually. Made it a personal rule never to kill anyone on purpose back when they held up jewelry stores. Used stolen tasers instead of guns. Painful as all hell yes, but not deadly.
“So, what do you think of these Kiva rumors?” Hard Knock had to ask. “Think there’s any truth to them, or are ponies just sniffing one too many shrooms and seeing things?”
“...Well, we can’t deny the bodies. But a strange figure that strikes from the shadows?” Iron Shaft asked as he continued with his menial task. “Sounds like something more out of a comic book really. Hell, some unicorn may be throwing up spells to create this mirage of Kiva, hiding in the shadows and killing their victims.”
“...That is the single most dumbest explanation I’ve ever heard,” Hard Knock deadpanned. “Man, I think I’ll stick to the mass mushroom sniffing explanation really…”
“...Hey, no weirder than a comic book figure striking from the shadows and leaving an implant of a bat wing style emblem in the ground eh?” Iron Shaft pointed out and Hard Knock acknowledged this with a small shrug of his shoulders.
“Wish the rest of our crew would show up,” Hard Knock muttered. “Surely they’re not scared of Kiva. We’re roughnecks, we don’t get scared of nothin’ except perhaps the threat of not being paid.”
“Strike from the shadows man…” Iron Shaft commented. “Comic book figure or someone sniffing the shrooms, it’s still happening. Could happen to anyone, even us really. Hell, we could be killed right now, at this very moment. Can’t say I don’t blame them for being scared out of their wits. Truth be told, I am too, but I’ve got an alimony check to deal with so work must continue.”
“...Ah yes, the ex-wife,” Hard Knock murmured. “Bitch. Always trying to get you to find her next drink, no wonder you divorced her. Damn shame she happened to be a really good lawyer on the side. Oh the irony, a criminal marrying a lawyer. Now there’s a good joke for you.”
“Would actually be so funny if it didn’t happen to me,” Iron Shaft remarked. “Here I am, still paying alimony checks three years on!”
“Hey, got something to cheer you up,” Hard Knock remarked. “Been working my ass off for this for every waking hour I’ve been at this job, but I finally managed it.”
“It?” Iron Shaft questioned. “What’s it?”
“You know exactly what it is!” Hard Knock refuted.
“No, I don’t know what it is, so stop dicking around with me and being so damn vague!” Iron Shaft shouted, starting to get really annoyed with his friend.
“Tickets!” Hard Knock beamed, waving a pair of printed slips of paper about in front of Iron’s face. “Tickets to your favorite singer, one Ms. Songbird Serenade for her Stars Align concert in Cloudsdale in a few short months!”
“...No way, just no way,” Iron replied. “You’re screwing with me. Those have to be made up. They just simply have to be. You know how much those cost!?!”
“Nope, they’re legit, the real effin’ deal. Tickets for the two of us! Tickets getting us the good seats! Like I said, worked my ass off to get ‘em!” Hard Knock chorused. “We, with our attractive masculine scent, are sure to catch her eye. Hell, maybe we’ll get really lucky and dear old Songbird will invite us onstage to be backup singers!”
“...Well, not you. Your voice sounds like a strangled cat gettin’ a lobotomy in some back alley somewhere really.” Iron deadpanned.
“Oh, like you’re some Feather Bangs yourself, dipshit!” Hard Knock sneered, and Iron looked as if he was about to punch his friend for even comparing him to that hack of a singer before both broke out laughing, falling to the floor when doing so. Another night, another argument between the two old chums.
“...Alright, enough joking around. This wing isn’t going to get itself built really,” Iron remarked. “Still got a lotta work to do, and so little time to meet our deadline.”
Suddenly, something clattered in the background. Something metallic really, and an odd squeaking sound came from somewhere beyond the two’s field of vision.
“What was that?” Hard Knock remarked, the dark-coated pegasus beginning to look around in suspicion.
“Probably a rat, playing with a beer can. Celestia knows some of our co-workers don’t bother to clean up after themselves.” Iron replied. “Nothin’ to worry about really. Pay it no mind.”
“You sure about that?” Hard Knock asked. “What if it’s someone sneakin’ about? Trying to bust in and steal something from the job site?”
Iron gave him a flat look.
“Hard, really. Look around, what is there around here that’s worth stealing?” he asked, in an equally flat tone gesturing around him. “I mean, honestly!”
That much was true at least, considering there really was not much worth stealing aside from a few construction tools. Of all the places to rob, this particular unfinished wing of the hospital wasn’t a good choice really. Granted, the other wings could have something of value…
“Best we go have a little look around, just in case though…” Iron murmured going for a flashlight with Hard Knock following.
“How much you want to bet it’s just some punk kids?” Hard Knock asked. “Could be out drinking, and decided it was a good idea to vandalize and graffiti the Hell out of our job site?”
Iron looked down the darkened hallway, and then at Hard Knock. “You first,” he said. As Hard Knock hesitantly started down the hallway, a wicked grin spread across Iron’s face and he crept up behind Hard Knock. “Maybe it’s Kiva,” he joked, putting on an ominous voice.
“Don’t joke about things like that,” Hard Knock replied, with a very visible shudder. “Just… Just don’t.”
“Alright, if it’s not Kiva, I dare you to go down that hallway and get those kids out of here then,” Iron replied with a challenging smirk. “Unless you’re too… chicken.”
Hard Knock glared at his friend, the taunt having the desired effect. “Alright, I’ll check it out. Just keep an ear out.” With that, the stallion turned and grabbed a flashlight to walk towards the sound.
“Right…” Iron said. “If it’s Kiva, scream okay?”
“Will do,” Knock grumbled, creeping into the darkness. Hard Knock continued down the abandoned hallway into what was supposed to be another lobby for the nurses, with rows of rooms for patients extending from either side. A small light bulb hung from the ceiling, swinging slowly back and forth in the nighttime air, blinking on and off every so often.
“...Okay, note to self, get the electrics fixed soon as possible. I swear, wandering around here and bumping into things in the dark isn’t fun. Especially when there’s the possibility of a stone-cold killer on the loose.” Hard Knock mused to himself before groaning. What was that they said? The first sign of you going crazy was you starting to talk to yourself, wasn’t it?
His head whipped to the left when he swore he saw something move in the darkness, and out of pure instinct picked up a nail gun. He lowered his arm, finding nothing but empty chairs at the nurse station. Turning away, he continued what he was starting to think was a fruitless search. There was a crash from behind him, nearly making him jump out of his skin.
“Alright, if that’s you Iron, not funny man! Not funny at all!” Hard shouted into the darkness. Turning around slowly, he saw a prone pony on the floor. He rushed towards the pony, kneeling down besides the pony, recognizing him as one of his fellow workers, Smelting Pot.
“...What the…?” Hard muttered as he kneeled down towards Smelting. “You alright man? Please tell me you didn’t overwork yourself into exhaustion again.”
“Z-Zapapple h-he,” Smelting croaked out, trembling like a leaf. Hard took a moment to examine the pony, finding marks on his neck. The instant he found them, Smelting cried out and his body shattered like glass.
“Smelting…” Hard whispered, fighting back a sniffle. “Okay, Kiva… Where are you?” he growled out, reaching for his nail gun once again, and gripping the trigger.
Hard followed the path he guessed Smelting had taken, keeping his nail gun at the ready. Fear or no fear, Kiva had messed with a friend. That was something the stallion couldn’t forgive. Still, Smelting’s last words kept nagging at him even as he traipsed down the corridors. Lightning, what did he mean by that? Did he mean his boss Zapapple Strike perhaps? Did he mean, as much as Hard Knock hated to think it, that Zapapple was Kiva? No, that couldn’t be! Burnt was far too nice, treated his workers fairly and he had a hatred for injustice in all its forms. To simply even entertain the possibility that his boss was Kiva was just a really bad joke. It was more than that, it was disgusting.
More likely, and this he knew from Smelting’s constant complaints about not being paid nearly enough, Smelting was probably trying to get off one last complaint about this. He hated to think ill of the dead, but that was the more likely probability in Hard Knock’s mind about what Smelting was trying to say. Zapapple, he didn’t pay me enough for this shit. Yeah, that had to be it. Another thought crossed his mind, one that made Hard pick up the pace of his search. What if Smelting was trying to tell him that Kiva was attacking Zapapple Strike? And furthermore, other members of Zapapple’s construction company as well? That meant he and then Iron could be next! Hard went into each room, finding nothing while his paranoia mounted.
“Ya alright there Hard?” Zapapple Strike’s distinctive voice came from behind him, the aqua stallion’s southern accent being instantly recognizable.
“Boss!” Hard said, breathing a sigh of relief and wiping sweat off his brow. “Thank Celestia you’re okay. Listen, Smelting’s dead and I think Kiva is after the company’s employees.”
“Well… yer not entirely wrong there pardner…” Zapapple Strike smirked, as veins that resembled stained glass began to appear all over his face, and he took off his Stetson and tossed it aside. “Bit unsightly, that there damned thing was anyhow. Never fit me properly.”
Hard screamed at the top of his lungs, finding himself standing face to face with what could only be described as a walking sea star, mostly dark-colored but with various stained glass detailing in various places. He wanted to run, but his hooves felt like they were made of cement. He closed his eyes, either to concentrate or to prepare for the end he couldn’t tell.
Then it happened, two transparent fangs appeared above his head and jabbed themselves into either side of Hard Knock’s neck.
Hard Knock let out a strangled scream, his life feeling like it was being drained away before all went dark and he slumped to the floor his entire body seemingly turning into crystal.
Meanwhile, Iron had heard the scream and was rushing to its source only to find the Seastar Fangire standing over what was left of Hard Knock’s body.
“Well now, suppose we can’t have any witness to mah doings can we now?” the Fangire murmured. “Really bad for business if Ah were to be outed as a monster now, now wouldn’t it eh? Hopin’ Kiva would be able to attend the party, but guess we can’t always get what we want really…”
Iron screamed, turning and running as fast as his legs could carry him. His mind was racing, unable to process what he had just seen.
Sadly, not fast enough as the Seastar Fangire was right behind, firing off blasts of electricity from his body nipping at Iron’s heels as it were.
Something moved in the darkness, and Iron screeched to a halt as he saw a figure, shrouded in shadows standing in front of him, a small bat creature hovering above the pony’s shoulders.
“Kivat!” the stallion -At least, Iron thought it was a stallion, he couldn’t really tell in the darkness- ordered, and Iron’s brows furrowed. He’d sworn he’d heard that voice somewhere before, but he just couldn’t place it as to where exactly. The figure raised his/her arm, and the bat creature bit down on it before a strange sound -impossible to describe, maybe like a distorted violin- filled the air before the pony stated: “Henshin.”
A strange wave filled the room, the figure’s silhouette distorting. In a moment, shards of what appeared to be glass shot out and Kiva stepped out from the shadows, his yellow eyes flashing for a split second. Iron swallowed nervously, and let out a murmur of: “Oh fu…” as he realized what he’d landed in the middle of and the gravity of the situation, the young pegasus being caught between Kiva and another monster of some sort.
“...Please, by Celestia’s name spare me…” Iron prayed before the Seastar Fangire grabbed Iron by the neck and pulled him close, laughing all the while.
“So, what’ll it be? Mahself, or the innocent bystander?” the Fangire asked.
Kiva didn’t respond, looking rather indecisive for a moment. One moment too long, as it would soon turn out, before he finally made up his mind. Iron watched as Kiva began pulling something off his belt. Iron focused on it, swearing it resembled a green whistle of some kind. Before the pegasus could question how the masked figure could blow it, Iron felt a sharp pain in his neck before he fell to the ground dead, just like Smelting and Hard Knock before him.
“Ah Kiva, it’s always your love for the innocent. That’ll be yer downfall, Ah think.” the Fangire chuckled darkly.
Kiva didn’t respond again, but the crimson bat on his belt called out, “Basshaa Magnum!” A jazzy tune started to play from the whistle, and a window shattered. As the glass cascaded to the floor, a strange object flew into Kiva’s hand, chains wrapping around his arm. His body turned green, as his left arm gained a shoulder pad and Kiva’s formerly yellow eyes filled with some sort of green liquid. Kivat’s formerly yellow eyes were now a greenish color as well.
The chains merged into Kiva’s armor, leaving no trace they had been there. Kiva brought up the object, revealing itself to be a gun of some sort, with what looked to have a sorta windmill with three blades around the gun’s barrel. The blades spun, Kiva pulling the trigger to fire a condensed ball of water at the Fangire, making him stagger back before Kiva kicked him in the creature’s midsection making it smash through a partially constructed wall.
Kivat detached himself from Kiva’s belt and flew around the Fangire as it fired off blasts of electricity once more. Kivat was laughing all the while as he dived and swooped to avoid the bolts with Kiva continuously firing at the Fangire. Kiva ignored the bat’s antics, all too familiar with the cocky attitude he displayed when they were out hunting down the monsters. All that mattered was making sure the fangire stopped feeding on the town of Ponyville.
“Kivat!” Kiva ordered with a snap of his fingers. “Time to change tactics!”
Kivat nodded, with the crimson bat creature returning to his place on Kiva’s belt as Kiva produced another whistle device with this one sorta resembling a wolf. “Garuru Saber! ” the bat boomed, a different tune from before playing, this one sounding like an organ. The gun flew off from where it came from, Kiva’s armor reverting to normal before a blue object crashed through another window and into his other hand, chains wrapping around his arm and Kiva turning a dark blue shade, his eyes along with Kivat’s earning a dark blue tint as a wolf howled in the background.
Kiva crouched down, growling ferally. Springing forward, he slashed at the fangire’s chest. The fangire swiped at him, scoring a slash across the chest of his own.
“Ya shoulda stayed using that there fancy magnum of yers, would've been more productive in the long run. Ya might have actually had a chance of beatin’ me then!” the fangire taunted as he scored several more strikes across the chest with his long razor-sharp claws. He raised his hand to strike again, before Kiva blocked and then parried the blow with his saber before punching the fangire making it stagger back.
The battle continued across the construction site, till both fighters were at the edge of the building, narrowly avoiding a long drop from the scaffolding to the hard ground below.
“What’s that old sayin?” the fangire taunted. “It’s not the fall that kills ya, it’s hittin' the ground!” he shouted, as he took a swipe at Kiva, who barely dodged. But this was what the Fangire had been counting on, as Kiva took a misstep and falling over the edge.
“...Well, that was easy.” the fangire remarked dusting his hands off. “Oh, when the King hears of this, Ah’ll be rewarded for su…” he trailed off, before he heard the flapping of wings and whirled around to see two butter-yellow wings holding Kiva aloft.
“Time to finish this…” Kiva thought to himself. He lowered his saber to Kivat’s mouth, the bat biting down on the blade.
“Chomp!” Kivat cried, his eyes flashing as the full moon turned a deep shade of blue in the background before Kiva leaped into the air as Kivat shouted “Wake up!” and Kiva launched himself at the fangire before slashing him right through the stomach. The fangire turned to glass before he began to crack and then he shattered as a ball of energy appeared from his remains and rose up to the sky.
Kiva crossed himself, as a nearby mountain shimmered before revealing a massive Gothic-style castle. But this was hardly any ordinary castle, as no castle that ever existed should by all rights have a dragon’s head and wings. But this one did, and it took to the skies and as it did so Doran -For that was the Dragon’s name- opened his jaws and devoured the fangire’s soul.
“Be sure to brush your teeth with this one!” Kivat shouted at Doran before whispering quietly: “Now, may you find peace in another life…”
Suddenly a powerful set of claws blindsided Kiva knocking him to the floor. “What? Another fangire?!” Kivat shouted, turning to face the attacker only for his eyes to widen as he saw a creature resembling a lion approaching. “Fl-Kiva, run! It’s one of the Checkmate Four!” Kivat shouted, quickly catching himself. It would not be wise to unveil Kiva’s real name to one of the most powerful Fangire alive.
“Game start.” the lion fangire laughed, before launching a flurry of spikes from his claws at Kiva, who quickly picked himself up off the floor and began running for it. The fangire laughed all the while. “Oh, isn’t this surprising! Kiva running, instead of facing me! I’m rather disappointed frankly, I’ve heard the new Kiva was supposed to be all that!”
Kiva faltered, taking to the sky to avoid the spikes. The taunt wounded him, but he couldn’t form a response. A part of him knew Kivat was right, even a lesser member of the Four was too much for him. Especially after having just fought one of the Four’s possible underlings. For now, he would have to rest, and heal.
The next morning, the remains of the construction workers would be found by a guard patrol. Ever since Kiva’s presence had become known to Princess Twilight, she’d sent her personal guard out on organized patrols in hopes of catching the mysterious killer. They never did find Kiva, but they always found the remains of his ‘victims’.
“We’ve got another one over here!” one Flash Sentry shouted, as he found the remains of Smelting. “Drained of his blood, just like all the rest of them.” he sighed, and shook his head with his purple and gold armor shimmering in the early morning sun.
“That makes what? Three of them?” the Captain of Twilight’s personal guard asked. “And their boss, one Zapapple Strikes has conveniently gone missing as well. We must assume he’s probably dead as well.”
Tempest Shadow chuckled to herself. A couple months or so ago, she wouldn’t have given a damn about any dead ponies really, or friendship or any of that rot. Of course, that was before the Storm King, and Twilight.
“Now I truly am the Storm King! And the entire world will bow to my ba-ba-ba-boom, baby!”
“ Yes, yes, you are every bit as powerful as I promised. Sire, now, restore my horn and I swear to use my magic to serve you!”
“ Who cares about your dinky little unicorn horn?!”
“But... we... we had an agreement!”
“Get with the program! I used you! ...It's kind of what I do.”
Howling winds and a great battle leaving Tempest narrowly avoiding death if not for one outstretched hand of friendship.
“Hold on!”
“Why are you saving me?”
“Because this is what friends do.”
Even a few months on, Tempest still really didn’t understand why Twilight did what she did, but she couldn’t argue with the results. She was still respected for her power, yes, but this time around nobody was afraid of her at the same time.
Twilight had personally appointed Tempest as the leader of her Friendship Guard citing her leadership and combative abilities. A few ponies had balked at first, yelling that a former enemy of Equestria should in no way be anywhere near Princess Twilight till she shut them up by stating that Tempest was in no way a threat to the nation’s well being and that treating her as an enemy of Equestria would probably in the end result with Tempest actually turning against Equestria once more.
“So…” Flash Sentry sighed, taking in a deep breath. “Shall we call it in Captain?”
“Yes, that would be the wisest choice especially considering there was a blue moon spotted by everyone in Ponyville last night. And as far as I know there’s been no extra full moons planned by Princess Luna unless I missed any memos so…”
“Alright,” Flash replied. “Calling it. At sometime around 8:00 PM last night, Smelting Pot, Iron Shaft, Hard Knock, and Zapapple Strikes were killed by the Masked Killer Kiva.”
“Check the security cameras of the construction site, I want to see if any of them caught Kiva on film,” Tempest ordered to her second in command, a little hedgehog named Grubber and also a former servant of the late Storm King. Before all of this, Tempest wouldn’t have even given Grubber the time of day as she honestly hated him and found him annoying really. But now, she actually appreciated him for what he was, a sort of light in the Storm King’s darkness and a good friend. While she was hardly romantically interested in him in the slightest as her heart lay elsewhere, she appreciated his company and his bad jokes. Kept the mood light when needed.
“Sadly, already did that,” Grubber remarked, the small hedgehog rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Something just ruined the camera’s internal electronics, and thereby ruining any footage they might have caught. If I had to guess, some sort of high pitched sound maybe?”
“...Just like always…” Tempest muttered to herself. This was a recurring problem whenever the Guard investigated any site that Kiva had killed at. If any security cameras existed, they’d been found ruined internally somehow making footage reconstruction impossible.
“So, what are we looking for here really?” Grubber asked. “I mean, what’s the connection between these guys, and the rest of Kiva’s victims? I mean, serial killers often have a type don’t they?”
“Hmm, yes, they do really do they not. Could be racial, could be sex-related, could be their occupation, could be anything really,” Tempest mused, rubbing her chin in thought. “But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? None of the victims thus far we’ve seen, none of them have had any connections aside from being killed by Kiva.”
“Wild thought here,” Grubber remarked. “But what if the killer isn’t Kiva? What if it’s someone else? Someone we’re not looking at? I mean, have we ever actually ever seen Kiva kill anyone? Sure, his emblem has always been left at the scene of the crimes but how do we know the killer just didn’t plant that there to frame Kiva?”
“Kiva is ponykind’s enemy, you know that as well as I do,” Tempest stated firmly as she looked directly at Grubber. “Twilight says so, Luna says so -Luna’s even fought Kiva before she was banished to the moon- and just about every other source of information we have on Kiva says so. Kiva must be stopped.”
With that, she walked off with her report to Princess Twilight in hand thinking to herself “I just hope that new power Twilight’s been working on will be enough to stop him…”
Unknown to her, Grubber had thoughts of his own thinking to himself: “But what if everybody’s wrong? What if we’re all wrong and Kiva is ponykind’s ally?”
All both knew for sure was that the fingers of fate and destiny were fickle ones indeed, and whatever they had in mind for Equestria one thing was for certain. There was a bad moon on the rise.
Author's Note
Okay, so meet my October special. Of course, knowing me that means it'll be finished long after October comes to an end but here's my second full-on foray into the Kamen Rider universe after the Double crossover Fang and Nazca. (I don't actually count Wild Access's Riders as they're not full-on Kamen Rider only universes.)
Funny thing, I originally planned to loosely imply this story was in the same universe as Fang and Nazca, but looking at Ponyjosiah's other stories set in Ponyville Noire I decided against it. Too many things that would conflict with one another.
Anyways, the Anthro thing. Again, like Fang and Nazca before it it's been done so it's easer for ponies to hold weapons like the Basshaa Magnum without looking silly and the like. Plus, there's another reason this time around. If they were normal ponies, think about where Kivat would rest on the belt and where Kiva would have to place the fuestles when giving them to Kivat. ...Basically somewhere around Kiva's withers really. Awkward.
Anyways, as ever... You know the drill. Comments, thoughts, and critique are welcomed.
Part 2: Rhapsody - My Resolve
Ponyville: Fluttershy’s Cottage
Fluttershy let out a whimper as she sunk down into her bed, the young mare fighting back a sob. More ponies lost to the Fangires, and to Kiva all because she simply didn’t get there in time!
Looking down from his place in the rafters, Kivat sighed to himself and shook his head the little crimson bat giving an expression of pity.
Honestly, he thought to himself as he watched Fluttershy sob to herself into her pillow, he wished this burden was given to someone else. Fluttershy shouldn’t be Kiva, even if her lineage demanded it. For years, her entire family lineage had kept the Fangires in check as part of the secretive Wonderful Blue Sky Organization, a secret branch of Celestia’s Solar Guard. But then that’s when it happened, Fluttershy’s father happened to fall in love with the previous queen of the Fangires, a mare named Posey.
He wasn’t really sure of the entire story of what happened, and just how Fluttershy’s father had managed to wrangle three monsters from across Equestria into promising to protect his daughter. In order, they were Jiro the Timberwolf, Ramon the Siren and Riki, the legendary Frankenstein's Monster. As for how he did it, and how he managed to fight off the Fangires, it wasn’t like Kivat could just ask Fluttershy’s father really as he’d taken ill several years ago and passed away, unfortunately.
“Fluttershy…” Kivat sighed to himself as he flapped down to her bedside table and stroked her with a wing. “You think you’re not the only one beating yourself up over this? I wanted to save those ponies just as much as you did. Sometimes we lose, we have to accept that.”
“...I won’t accept that, I will never accept any ponies dying on my watch as acceptable losses!” Fluttershy hissed out at her sometimes friend.
“Fluttershy, I wasn’t putting it like that!” Kivat stated, backing up a little from Fluttershy’s fearsome glare. “You must understand, not every battle will end in a victory, no matter how much we want them to. The Fangires, they’re fierce, relentless, and they will not give in until they are the sole remaining form of intelligent life on Equestria! Did… did I ever tell you what happened to Ramon’s race?”
“N-No…” Fluttershy whispered, wiping away her tears and letting out a small sniffle.
“Oh, it happened ages and ages ago, long before you and I were ever born, it was back during the time of my father, Kivat the Second. Back during the time of Starswirl the Bearded, actually. You remember what happened to the Dazzlings?”
“Y-Yes,” Fluttershy stuttered out, nodding her head. “They… They wanted to rule all over Ponykind, so they used their voices to bring ponies under their control right?”
“Yes, that’s true but that isn’t the full story. No, they were scared of the Fangires of that time. The King of the Fangires, he’d ordered the Siren race eliminated and the Dazzlings, they were on the run. They couldn’t fight back against the Fangires and their sheer power, nor could they go to the Princesses for help because all ponies distrusted the Siren race by pure instinct so the Dazzlings were forced to take matters into their own hooves,” Kivat explained. “So this is what they did, they used the only thing they knew how to use. Their singing, and the ability ingrained within it to bring ponies under their control to form an army to oppose the Fangires. The Blue Sky Organization, it didn’t exist back then so they were Ponykind’s only hope,” Kivat chuckled. “Imagine, Sirens of all creatures being the last hope of the pony race!” he stated in amusement at the sheer irony of it all before letting out a sad sigh.
“So, what happened?” Fluttershy asked although she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
“What do you think? It all went sour due to the actions of one pony. Sadly, Starswirl the Bearded, he misunderstood their intentions nor did he even know of the Fangires despite his great respite of knowledge. So, he did the only thing he thought just from his position, banish the Dazzlings to worlds unknown. Perhaps he did them a favor, sparing them from the slaughter that was to come, perhaps he didn’t if what you told me about Twilight’s experience with the Dazzlings in the present day is to be believed. Who’s to say?” Kivat shrugged.
“I’d… I’d like to think he did,” Fluttershy whispered. “Starswirl, when I met him along with the other pillars, he was a good pony underneath all of that. He may have been a zealot in some respects but he didn’t understand everything such as friendship and the possibilities of there being more than one way to look at a problem as the situation with Stygian showed.”
“Hmmm…” Kivat nodded. “Agreed. Once you put it that way, I suppose you have a point.”
“So,” Fluttershy inquired with a raised eyebrow sitting herself on the foot of her bed. “If all of the Sirens were slaughtered, how did…?” she trailed off.
“Ramon escape?” Kivat finished for her. “I have many theories, and I do want to bring them to Ramon, but to be honest I don’t think he’s willing to open up to me really. Perhaps you would have better luck really.”
“I’ll… I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll pay him a visit sometime. Gosh, he must be getting lonely with only Jiro and Riki to keep him company…” she trailed off.
“Oh, I doubt that. All of the Arms Monsters, they all play a mean game of poker,” Kivat replied. “I’ve joined them every so often, they always manage to clean me out!” he stated in a tone of indigence crossing his wings much like one would cross their arms.
“...Dare I ask what you play with?” Fluttershy asked, with a small giggle.
Kivat mumbled something under his breath, something Fluttershy couldn’t quite catch.
“What was that?” she asked.
“...Porn mags.” Kivat mumbled quietly.
“What was that?” Fluttershy asked again.
“I… I said porn mags!” Kivat sputtered out. “Riki and Jiro love them, and so do I, my my, those ponies with the long beautiful necks!”
Next thing he knew, Kivat found himself smacked into a wall as Fluttershy huffed. Kivat groaned in pain and muttered to himself: “Damn pony hearing…”
Fluttershy heard that too and threw a shoe at him.
Later that day Fluttershy met up with her close friend Rainbow Dash at the local gym, with Rainbow found lifting weights and trying to improve her muscles. Or work off body fat, it depended on the day. Personally, Fluttershy knew Rainbow was just trying to impress her Wonderbolt comrade Soarin’ but Rainbow always denied it when asked if that was the case.
“Celestia damnit…” Rainbow groaned out as she lifted some barbells that had to be at least fifty pounds or more. “Can’t shave off this extra body fat! I mean, I do not look good resembling a hog!”
Personally, Fluttershy as she continued running on the treadmill she was on, didn’t quite see what Rainbow was on about. She wasn’t into mares -or at least she didn’t think she was- but even she could tell at this distance that Rainbow had a very flattering if somewhat boyish figure. Her sports bra and sweats definitely showed it off, and Fluttershy did take notice quite a few nearby colts had distracted themselves from their weight-shedding and were taking a few glances of their own at the Element of Loyalty’s figure.
“Flutters, how do you do it?” Rainbow asked, momentarily putting the weights aside for the time being and looking over to her friend, who was dressed in just a simple gray sweatshirt and light blue jogging pants. “I mean, how? You’re barely out of the house as it is, except to buy groceries for your animals or whenever you get called on map missions, and yet you’re slimmer than me! And I’m in the Wonderbolts for cryin’ out loud!”
Fluttershy overheard Rainbow’s pleading and secretly smirked before taking the earbuds out of her ear, deciding to tease her friend a little. The song that had been playing on her device was audible if you listened closely.
“ Your thoughts are all tangled up; They've been overcrowding you. Your strength produces weakness that you don't even realize...
“Sharpen up, Wake up! I feel a special sensation! With a keen ear you can hear it, The future that is happening in the smallest moment…”
If anyone had heard the full lyrics, they might have been caught off-guard by the song. Not exactly something they might have expected the sweetest pony in Ponyville to listen to really, a song called “Innocent Trap” for a very good reason.
“I have my ways,” Fluttershy smiled as she adjusted the treadmill’s speed and slowed it down somewhat. “Trade secret, really.”
“Aw come on Flutters, not even for your best friend?” Rainbow whined. “You gotta let me in on this, what’s your secret?”
“Oh, come off it Rainbow dearie,” Rarity’s voice chimed in as she and Tempest walked in with a chiming of the gym’s front door, towels slung over their shoulders.
Quite a few stallions cleared the room, not wanting to be in the same area as Tempest, whether it was due to her sheer stature and intimidating appearance or due to her past. Whatever the case, Tempest paid them no mind, and simply rolled her eyes. Pathetic, if she had to state her opinions on the matter. Simply and utterly pathetic.
“And everyone wonders why I haven’t started dating anyone yet really…” Tempest thought to herself in a disgusted tone. “Simply because nobody is brave enough to even approach me or remember I put my past behind me. What do I have to do to prove to them I’ve changed? Kill Kiva? Is being part of Twilight’s personal guard simply not enough for them?”
“Every lady is entitled to some secrets of their own, are they not?” Rarity asked, tying her curled dark violet hair back into a ponytail and sharing a glance with Tempest. She sighed, the poor mare had way too much pent-up stress. Needed to get out more, do more things aside from just chasing down criminals and guarding Twilight. Maybe she should set her up on a blind date? She knew plenty of stallions that could probably handle Tempest's… demeanor.
“Unless…” Rarity thought to herself as she thought of Twilight and how close Tempest seemed to be with her friend. “Ms. Berrytwist’s tastes don’t run towards stallions… Hmm, I wonder. Nah, another time.”
“Exactly,” Tempest agreed as she sat down at an arm curling machine and began using it to build up her already impressive biceps. “Leave the poor mare alone hmm? If she wants to tell you her little secret as to how she stays so slim, she will tell you in time.”
As she sat to work on building up her biceps, Tempest smirked at Rainbow.
“And another thing, you really don’t need to impress Soarin with your muscles or improve your figure. Pretty sure he’d like you just the way you are,” Tempest remarked. “I’m still new at this friendship thing, but even I know that .”
“W-Who said I was trying to impress anyone?” Rainbow stammered out, and Rarity laughed.
“Oh come off it dearie,” the fashionista smirked as she started up a treadmill next to Fluttershy. “Anyone with eyes can see it, the way you work yourself night and day here! Plus, you didn’t start coming to this gym anyways until after a certain birdie let loose Soarin’ occasionally came here.” Rarity remarked, and Tempest had to stifle a chuckle in the background. So busted. Rainbow was like an open book at times, anyone could read her.
“T-That’s a lie!” Rainbow stammered out, her face flushed quite red. “And you all know it!”
“Suurrrrre, whatever you say, darling…” Rarity trailed off, with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow. “Let us believe whatever you want. We know the real truth.”
“I don’t understand why we’re here bantering about in idle gossip over Rainbow’s love life -or lack thereof- when there’s a real problem at hand, and we all know it,” Tempest huffed, as she momentarily stopped her bodybuilding.
“Which is?” Rainbow inquired, with both Rarity and Fluttershy stopping whatever they were doing and listening in closely.
“There’s been another… incident,” Tempest stated. “Another attack.” she continued, catching everyone’s interest at once and all eyes turned to her.
“Y-You don’t mean…?” Rarity trailed off in a fearful stutter.
“Yes, there was a blue moon seen last night, and several ponies at a nearby construction site were found by myself and some of the other guardsmen. Kiva’s struck again, I’m sure of it!” Tempest stated in frustration before swearing loudly.
“Tempest, please!” Rarity admonished. “While I share your views on Kiva, this is a public space, so if you could tone your choice of language down a notch…?”
“I apologize, Ms. Belle,” Tempest sighed. “It’s just… Well, Kiva attacking these ponies in the dead of night for no reason and then us being unable to stop him time and time again, it frustrates me to no end.”
“Bastard…” Rainbow muttered to herself. “Ooh, how I’d like to give this ‘Kira’ or whatever he calls himself the old one-two!”
“Kiva.” Tempest corrected.
“I-I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whispered, but just loud enough for her three friends to hear her. “But how do we know it’s Kiva that’s attacking these poor ponies? I mean, do we have any proof of that?”
“The insignia left by the killer, Kiva’s insignia is more than enough proof I say!” Tempest stated, with Rainbow nodding in agreement. Rarity stayed silent, seemingly lost in thought.
“But has anyone actually seen Kiva doing these deeds?” Fluttershy asked. “How do we know he or she is actually doing it? It could be a frame-up.”
Tempest briefly flashed back to a few hours before, with Grubber’s words which were remarkably similar to the Element of Kindness’s own.
“Wild thought here,” Grubber remarked. “But what if the killer isn’t Kiva? What if it’s someone else? Someone we’re not looking at? I mean, have we ever actually ever seen Kiva kill anyone? Sure, his emblem has always been left at the scene of the crimes but how do we know the killer just didn’t plant that there to frame Kiva?”
“Flutters listen,” Rainbow said as she walked over to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder. “I understand your kindness, and the ability to want to see the best in anyone more than anyone else here but you’ve got to face the facts here. Kiva’s a killer, and that’s the end of the matter.”
“No, that’s just what you all believe!” Fluttershy replied angrily, and Rainbow took a step back. Whether it was due to shock or fear, Rainbow wasn’t exactly sure.
“Because there’s nothing to say otherwise!” Rainbow argued back once she’d regained the capacity for speech, her voice raised to a shout.
“Exactly, nothing to say otherwise. Nothing!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “If that’s the case, well, I’ll just have to find something!”
As Fluttershy began to march out in a huff, Tempest laid a firm hand on her shoulder. “Listen, heed both my and your best friend’s warnings. Kiva is not to be trifled with, you should not and I repeat should not go even looking for him! He will kill you without a second thought!”
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that won’t we?” Fluttershy stated, before taking her leave. She sighed. If only she could tell them…
“So, that’ll be it then. My resolve, to prove to the world that Kiva is not a killer,” Fluttershy thought to herself. “But the question is… how?”
Not far away from the gym, at a nearby playground sat a tan stallion in a black leather jacket with a chessboard and a rook as his Cutie Mark, an image of this Cutie Mark being stitched into the back of his jacket.
His fur seemed to be covered in small scorch marks, and for a very good reason. Rook, AKA the Lion Fangire had this thing. These little games of his, which he called Time Plays. What he did, was find something seemingly of random and then attempt to kill ponies within twenty minutes. If he failed to do so, he would find some electrical wires and electrocute himself with them as punishment for his failure, as he had recently done for his failure to kill Kiva last night.
“So, I failed…” Rook thought to himself as he approached a set of power lines and pulled them down, before screaming out in pain as the shock went through his body. “I must atone for my sins.”
Eventually, he allowed himself release from this self-devised torment of his and continued on, wondering what his next ‘game’ would be. Perhaps it would be something truly fun indeed.
If for whatever reason he won his little game, he would treat himself to some ice cream from Sugarcube Corner or wherever.
“So,” he, with a distinct neighponiese accent asked a nearby mare who was out walking her dog. “Do you know of anything fun?”
“F-Fun?” the mare stuttered out, all of her instincts telling her to just run from this man as fast and as far away as she could. But she swallowed her courage and answered anyway. “W-Well, I suppose there’s the gym. I mean, yummy right? Just watching those stallions build up their biceps and abs and whatnot!”
“So that’s it,” Rook thought to himself, licking his lips in pleasure for what was to come. “My newest game.”
“Arigato,” he stated before two green fangs popped out of nowhere and injected themselves into the mare’s neck before she dropped to the grass unseen thanks to the heavy cover of bushes between her and the playground.
Rook looked towards his watched and pressed a button. With a small Beep! It set itself to a time limit of twenty minutes.
“Time play…” Rook began. “Start. Gym goers, how explicitly interesting…”
Later that day, Fluttershy paid a visit to Castle Doran using a secret underground tunnel from her cottage that led inside the Castle.
As ever and true to Kivat’s words, Jiro and Riki were playing a game of poker using porn mags as the buy-ins. Ramon in his Siren form sat off to the right in a small man-made lake just shaking his head in disgust.
“You know, you two are real pervs, ya know that right?” Ramon remarked, the green siren’s yellow eyes narrowed. “Clean up your act, the Lady’s entered the Castle!”
Jiro let out a yelp of surprise while Riki just ate a corner of one of the magazines making a grunting sound, the legendary beast not really caring one bit. Wasn’t like he was raised to pony standards. How could you expect him to be, given he was a monster made out of various bits of old corpses and brought to life by a lightning bolt?
Ramon facepalmed. “The creatures I put up with… I swear, even dragons are classier than you two. Even dragons…” he muttered. “Apologies for their behavior Lady Fluttershy, if I had known you were coming I would have taken the mags and drenched them making them unreadable.”
“...It’s alright, I already knew about what they used instead of bits.” Fluttershy sighed, shaking her head, before giving a really nasty glare to both Riki and Jiro who tried to make themselves as small as they could, seeing a fearsome devil with horns of fire sorta resembling Tirek in a way instead of a sweet shy butter yellow pegasus.
“Who blabbed?” Jiro asked.
“Who do you think?” Riki muttered. “Had to be Kivat, he could never keep a secret from the Lady to save his life.”
“...Fair enough,” Jiro admitted. “But I’m still blaming you, you walking pile of flesh.”
“Timberwood.” Riki sniped back.
“Jerk!” Jiro barked.
“Bitch,” Riki grumbled.
“Mutant freak.” Jiro sniped back, not really offended by the last remark because of how technically true it was but still he hated his compatriot all the same. And so the argument continued on, Fluttershy tuning it out rather used to the two’s little spats by now.
“...Children, I’m surrounded by children,” Ramon muttered, using his fin to give the siren equivalent of a facepalm. Fluttershy didn’t both telling Ramon he was technically the youngest of the group. “Anyways, again apologizing for their behavior, I assume you came here because you wanted something my Lady?” the siren asked his Master of sorts. Long ago, Fluttershy’s father had managed to befriend the three oddballs and had turned them into his family’s retainers, asking them alongside Kivat to keep an eye on his little girl as she grew up should he fail to do so in any way.
This sadly became true, as when Fluttershy was of a very young age, her father contacted a cancer of the lungs and passed away very shortly leaving this motley bunch alongside Kivat as Fluttershy’s adopted uncles and father figures. Her mother Posey knew none of this of course, nor did her brother and only assumed she was one of the sole constants in her daughter’s life family wise. Fluttershy, while turning rather meek after her father’s demise had taken a decidedly different direction from her brother who was rather outgoing. Pretty much the opposite of how things were when the two were children.
Fluttershy, for her it had taken years to build up her confidence to even a small level of what it once was when she was a toddler, adventurous and willing to explore the world. She hadn’t quite reached those levels again yet, and she deep down inside suspected she never would but she would try her hardest if only for her father.
Sadly, the constant put-downs in her life nowadays by people decrying Kiva as a monster instead of a savior -even if they didn’t know any better- didn’t help matters much.
“Ramon, if I may,” Fluttershy asked nervously. “Can I ask you about your… past? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but…”
“No, no. You have a right to know. You have a right to know,” Ramon sighed, repeating certain phrases as he had a tendency to do when he either got nervous or embarrassed. Which was more often than one might think, despite Ramon being a big scary siren which was a known pony predator. He was young, hadn’t grown into his full size and plus he knew the ongoing threat of the Fangires kept him confined to Castle Doran until they were dealt with. “How I escaped the slaughter I mean. The Dazzlings weren’t the only members of my brethren to escape the wrath of the Fangire King. No, my great-great grandmother managed to survive, and give birth to my mom who gave birth to me in turn, our family dodging the Fangires as best we could but in the end… Well, I’m the last of my race left as far as I know really…”
“Oh, Ramon…” Fluttershy whispered, stroking the teenage siren’s facial scale. “I promise you, I will not let your race’s demise go unavenged. That is part of my resolve of Kiva.”
“Fluttershy…” Ramon whispered, a small tear dripping from his eye. “Don’t make a kid a promise, not if you don’t know if you can keep it. The Fangires, they’re powerful, they’re numerous and Rook? He’s only the weakest of the Checkmate Four.”
“Kid’s right,” Jiro stated. “Very right indeed. Rook’s dangerous yes, but not the most dangerous of the Fangires. The King, the Queen, the Bishop? You can’t possibly hope to take them all on alone.”
“I’m not alone, I have you all don’t I?” Fluttershy asked, before taking on a deep sigh. “Plus, if I can get my friends to see reason, then you’ll have all six Elements of Harmony on your side alongside the Princesses.”
“Good luck with that one kid,” Jiro muttered. “For all they know, Kiva’s just a mass-murderer. They don’t see ponies turning into their true Fangire forms, all they see is the aftermath we five leave in our wake.”
“Hey, have some faith in the girl why don’t you, ya bundle of firewood?” Riki grunted out, the massive muscle-bound creature with skin hard as rock cracking his neck. This was something he did out of habit even if there was no real need for it except to possibly look intimidating which wasn’t hard for him really. “She’s a lot stronger than she looks. Anyone else forced to bear the burden of being the newest Kiva, they probably would have cracked under the pressure. Cracked like an egg. But the Lady here? She hasn’t.”
“...At least not yet.” Jiro muttered, with Fluttershy’s thoughts going along similar lines unbeknownst to any of the three Arms Monsters.
“He’s right, Jiro’s completely right. M-Maybe I’m not cut out for all of this, stopping monsters and saving pony lives. Maybe I’m just not the mare my father and Kivat would have wanted me to be… But for the sake of ponykind, I will try. I will try, that is the best I can do at this point.”
She had a brief flashback to her father, laying in his hospital bed.
“Flutters, for the sake of our family, and by Faust I know you’re far too young to take up this burden, you need to protect the world.”
“P-Protect the world from what daddy?” Fluttershy asked.
“After I leave, you will learn. I’m sorry my daughter, I wish it didn’t have to be this way, I wish I didn’t have to pass on the burden I should be carrying to you but…”
“But? But what?” Fluttershy asked before she realized her father’s hand had gone limp, and the heart rate monitor had flat-lined. “Daddy! DADDY!”
It was only a short fifteen years later that Fluttershy had taken up her first night on the job as Kiva, when the Fangires decided to reemerge. “Kivat!”
A quick henshin and a few short minutes of fists landing blows later, Fluttershy decided to deal with the dark blue Kirin-themed Fangire that had decided to start sucking lives from a few ponies off exploring the Whitetail Woods and finish the job.
“WAKE UP!”
A scarlet moon was seen in the sky that night, and shattered glass lay on the street with a massive imprint of a winged logo smashed into the ground thanks to one Darkness Moon Break. And so the legend of Kiva, the silent killer in the night had begun. Fluttershy wouldn’t know this until a few weeks later till it hit the papers at last, but someone had apparently seen her escaping from the scene of the crime and had photographed her Kiva form along with her insignia.
Granted, it was possible the story had hit the papers sooner and was highly likely it had in fact and Fluttershy was only seeing a reprint due to her distaste for the Ponyville Chronicle which had first broken the story. But all the same, Kiva was now known to the world, and not in the way Fluttershy would have liked really to say the least.
Suddenly, Fluttershy’s thoughts returned to the present and her head whipped around to the sound of Castle Doran’s bell ringing loudly, and she let out a whisper of “Fangire…”
Meanwhile, at Princess Twilight’s castle, Tempest had returned from her little outing with Rarity, thoughts running rampant. A few short weeks ago, life was so simple. Just guard Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and generally keep the town in order and stop things from going too insane. Well, too insane by Ponyville’s standards, considering she’d heard of a swarm of Parasprites chewing up the town a few years back only to be solved by the pink one serving as a one mare band chasing them off, or Twilight casting spells on everyone to make them fight over her childhood doll of all things just so she could have a friendship problem to solve.
But then Kiva had to show his face, and she, along with the rest of the Elements of Harmony had to be formerly indoctrinated into the Wonderful Blue Sky organization considering all seven’s pasts experiences in fighting evil and kicking ass in general. Apparently, if they were to be believed, they’d been formed centuries ago when Kiva first appeared and fought off Princess Luna and since then had devoted themselves to his capture if he ever were to appear again, fighting off various dangerous monsters such as hydras and bugbears in the meantime.
“Grubber, what are you doing?” Tempest had to ask, seeing the little hedgehog chow down on a hoard of cake, probably doing Celestia and her somewhat large flanks proud.
“What does it look like, I’m stress-eating! This whole Kiva thing’s got me out of whack, you know?” Grubber exclaimed through a mouthful of cake, Tempest grimacing in disgust. Grubber looked apologetic and swallowed his food. “You know, you really should try this stuff, it’s great! Seriously, Mrs. Cake? Makes the best vanilla oat sponge cake this side of Canterlot.”
“No thanks, rots my teeth,” Tempest remarked. “Thank you Grubber, for trying to help but-”
“I know, I know, you don’t need it. But seriously, you need to try and relax more. That intimidating look, -Yeah, that one right there with that big scowl!- always a huge turn-off for stallions. Or mares if you’re into that sorta thing. Not going to judge you,” Grubber shrugged. “Two things, cake and a good massage from Aloe and her sister. That’s what always manages to help me relax, calm my mind, enter my inner peace and all that.”
Tempest sighed, Grubber, he meant well but he didn’t always know what was best for her at times. He was trying to make up for being such a bad partner over the years from their service to the Storm King, the invasion of Canterlot especially. After the entire friendship festival had ended, and all was said and done with the now free Storm Creatures returning to their homelands in the mountains of Yakyakistan, Tempest and Twilight had eventually found Grubber crying away from the judgemental eyes of everyone else.
Apparently, he’d tried so much to put in a good effort in impressing Tempest and showing that he was cut out for the job, that Tempest’s constant rejections had finally cut him to the core. That big speech he’d prepared for Tempest’s entrance in Canterlot? Trying to impress her. His constant -Constantly terrible, Grubber himself admitted- jokes and offered pastries were attempts at cheering her up just a little as he always said that scowl never looked right on her face. And when the invasion truly began with the Storm King creating his long-awaited storm of the ages, he’d ran away and hid in fear and in shame of his constant failures. From that day forth, Tempest swore to keep Grubber by her side, laugh at his jokes no matter how bad they were and generally make him feel needed even going so far as appointing him as her second-in-command.
“Oh, oh!” Grubber suddenly exclaimed. “I know that face, it’s your stressed about a problem face! Y’know, you and Princess Twilight seem to share that same face at times. That exact same face, that one right there!”
“That obvious huh?” Tempest grimaced. “Yeah, I’ve been having trouble with-”
“Kiva? Don’t worry amigo,” Grubber replied. “You’ll find the answer, I know you will.”
“Were it so easy…” Tempest murmured to herself as she walked off. As she did so, she heard Grubber’s voice calling after her.
“Hey, when you see Twilight, tell her the fridge is out of whipped cream!”
Tempest sighed good-naturedly, a far cry from her former self indeed and met Princess Twilight in where else but the castle library. There the Princess was, clad in a midnight-blue dress amongst a veritable mountain of books all on vampires and killing them. Next to her sat some wooden stakes-possibly made of evergreen, Tempest had heard of its effectiveness- a silver cross and some holy water probably gathered from one of the nearby churches of Lady Faust.
“You alright? Look like you’ve been up all night Princess,” Tempest asked, laying a hand on her friend’s shoulder. That much was true, Twilight’s face was baggy and her eyes were bloodshot with a nearly empty coffee mug saying ‘World’s Best Princess’ sitting nearby. Her face was resting in the pages of an open book, one very ancient tome probably pulled from Canterlot’s Archives if the subject matter was any indication.
“No, Fizzlepop…” Twilight moaned, one of the few people Tempest actually trusted and allowed to call her by her real name. “Just… Just been combing through every book I can find on a way to deal with Kiva. Considering the bodies we’ve found, drained of blood, I think it’s safe to assume Kiva is some sort of Vampire.”
“But the bodies we’ve also found, some of them have been shot or shattered like glass. Last I checked, Vampires don’t do that.” Tempest remarked, rubbing her chin in thought. For a brief moment, she considered both Grubber and Fluttershy’s words. Maybe they were right, maybe they were going in the wrong direction. She soon brushed those thoughts aside. No, Kiva was the primary culprit behind these serial killings. Maybe a few were copycat murders by some form of nutty worshippers, but Kiva had to be the main one doing this.
“Like I said, some sort. Just what breed, I’m not sure yet, “ Twilight sighed. “I’ll figure it out.”
“You always do…” Tempest smiled. “So, I presume you called me here for a reason?”
Twilight blinked slowly in shock, not completely awake really before her eyes shot wide open and she muttered “Yes, yes. Now I remember. It’s ready, quite ready indeed!”
She pulled an obviously fake book out from a shelf, and with a small click, a painting turned around to reveal what looked to be a belt along with a white and gold knuckle of some sort.
“Fizzlepop Berrytwist, or Tempest Shadow if you prefer, I’d like to introduce you to the Intercept and Attack system or IXA for short. Version X, really.”
“Wait, so this is the tenth version of a system, and from what I’ve been gathering about you remarking about a new power, I’m going to be the first one to actually use and test this system against Kiva?” Tempest asked in shock, caught off-guard as Twilight handed her the belt and the IXA Knuckle. “I… I don’t know what to say, this… this is an honor for you to entrust me with such a weapon.”
“You, out of all the candidates the Blue Sky Organization went through, were the best choice for version 10 of the system,” Twilight nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. “However, I should feel free to warn you, while the IXA system has been refined over the years with various abilities being added or removed as time went on, there’s one problem that the Blue Sky Organization has always worried persisting as time went on. Namely, the toll this takes on the pony body. The first few users of IXA, back in its original state did wind up in the hospital from what they told me. Tempest, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to…” Twilight trailed off, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder out of concern. That had was quickly brushed away.
“No, I have to. No, I want to, for the greater good. Even if it kills me, Kiva must be stopped no matter the cost.” Tempest stated as Twilight sighed once more.
“If you say so…” she murmured as Tempest took notice of the little whistles attached to the belt’s holsters.
“Can I just ask? What’s with these?” the mare remarked, holding up a white whistle with blue detailing.
“Ah, yes. Those are my own little additions. I’ve taken notice in texts Kiva has used various whistles to activate various powers, so I decided to copy the system and give IXA the same ability. Technology to fight magic.”
“Perfect,” Tempest smirked as she slung the belt around her waist. Kiva would not know what hit him now, he was no longer the only Kamen Rider in Equestria.
“Fizzlepop?” Twilight asked nervously, kissing her friend on the cheek making them both blush in surprise. “Just… Just be careful okay?”
“I will. Don’t worry Twilight,” Tempest stated. “And it’s Kamen Rider IXA now.”
As she entered the darkened gym the tolls of Doran’s bells still ringing in her ears, Fluttershy let out a whispered “No…” as she saw several ponies already drained of their blood scattered about. None of them were close friends of hers nor had she ever even known their names but she let out a whimper all the same. More ponies attached to the trail of death she left behind.
She then heard a harsh form of laughter as she saw a stallion with thick black hair laughing and rejoicing in this before squeaking in fear as she saw the emblem on his jacket.
Rook turned and smiled as he saw the little pegasus quivering.
“Oh, the perfect ending to my little game. Fluttershy herself! Yes, I will be treating myself tonight…” Rook smiled as his veins took on a stained glass tint before he changed with Fluttershy only able to watch in transfixed horror.
Standing at least a foot tall above her in height was this leonine creature, with a pure white mane like death itself, two marble cupids blowing horns functioning as shoulder pads and legs covered in vine and brick.
Fluttershy swallowed but did not let her fear consume her. She had a job to do and ponies to protect. “Kivat!” the pegasus called, with the little bat fluttering into the area.
As Fluttershy let Kivat bite down on her arm, stained glass veins not unlike a Fangire’s covered her face and her eyes narrowed into bat-like slits as that strange distorted violin note filled the air only stopping when she had finished her transformation.
Rook was so taken aback by this, with that being Fluttershy AKA Ponyville’s meekest resident actually being Kiva he just had to burst out laughing.
“So, you’re the infamous Kiva, the Silent Killer in the Night?” Rook laughed. “I’m sorry, I just need a minute to recollect myself and rebuild the reality that you just shattered like my fellow Fangire.”
“And you’re Rook, wanted by the Blue Sky Organization for the murder of 120 stallions, sixty mares, ten fillies, five foals, three goats-”
“Not so silent now are we? Let me finish that for you. Oh yes, I know this last one! Five foals, three goats, and a rather nasty massacre of a certain species of fish! We all have our little problems.” Rook chuckled.
“You’re going to pay for that,” Fluttershy growled, a whole new side of her coming to light now that she was behind the safety of Kiva’s mask. She was no longer the Element of Kindness, but Kamen Rider Kiva, the last defense of Ponykind from what lurked in the dark. “I actually have a few friends in that species you so delightfully slaughtered. Now normally, I’d just try and reason with you, hopefully take you alive to answer for your crimes against ponykind but in this case? I think I’ll make an exception.” Fluttershy remarked with a distinctly venomous and rather uncharacteristic snarl of rage.
“So it seems perhaps punishing myself for my sins was a hasty mistake,” Rook commented as he bared his fangs. “For tonight I kill Kiva.”
And so the battle began, with both combatants throwing powerful punches that sometimes landed, sometimes they didn’t. Rook threw a kick, but Kiva only caught it between her knee and her elbow before headbutting the leonine Fangire.
“You know, you could help me if you were ever so inclined,” Rook offered as he fired needles from his claws like missiles with Kiva rolling out of the way. “I remember the original Kiva, what he was like. A real king of the monsters.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened under her helmet, before they narrowed. “I’d rather die before I submit to helping you in your sick games Rook.”
“Oh, don't be boring. Everyone that says that dies,” Rook sighed in a bored tone. “And honestly, you really think you can keep this up forever? Endure the scorn of everyone you know and love, just to save a few measly ponies who don’t matter in the end?” he snarled, and Fluttershy faltered for a moment, long enough for Rook to kick her through the walls and outside into the small spot of woodland behind the gym. “Yeah, I thought so, you’re hardly invincible. A far cry from the original Kiva.”
“Funny, I heard different,” Fluttershy stated in a sassy tone regaining a little bit of her confidence as she grabbed a tree trunk, and pulled it out of the ground before smacking Rook with it sending him flying into a boulder. The boulder was smashed into rubble as Fluttershy tossed the tree trunk aside with a loud thud. “The original Kiva, my predecessor? Princess Luna managed to draw him to a standstill. And she didn’t even have the powers of a Rider. Guess we know who the true ruler of the night is, huh?”
“Lies!” Rook snarled out in rage before taking a swipe at Kiva, which was caught and Rook only earned himself a punch to the gut for his troubles. He staggered backwards but fired another volley of pin missiles at Fluttershy, who rolled to the left to dodge them.
“I made a promise to Ramon, and the Siren race to defeat you, and avenge them. I do not break my promises,” the pegasus stated. “Tonight, you fall and your little time plays end,” she remarked, before drawing the Garulu Fuestle and placing it in Kivat’s mouth.
“Garuru Saber! ” the bat boomed, a different tune from before playing, this one sounding like an organ. A blue object crashed through the trees and into his other hand, chains wrapping around his arm and Kiva turning a dark blue shade, her helmet’s eyes along with Kivat’s own earning a dark blue tint as a timberwolf howled in the background. The object unfolded into a sharp gold-colored blade, with a wolf’s head as the hilt.
Kiva crouched down, growling ferally. Springing forward, Fluttershy slashed at Rook’s chest. The fangire swiped at him, scoring a slash across the chest of his own. Kiva staggered, but looked unfazed.
“Give it up, you can’t defeat me!” Rook snarled. “I am Rook, the hunter and one of the strongest of the Checkmate Four.”
“And probably the most arrogant of the four, I’d like to think,” Fluttershy replied still in that sassy tone, before her tone turned softer. “I know my limits, I know I can’t defeat you as I am not. But by knowing their weaknesses, people can become stronger and surpass themselves. Break the chains that bind them.”
“Well well, someone’s poetic…” Rook remarked with a dismissive snort as he and circled Fluttershy each other like the predators they were.
“I read,” Fluttershy remarked with a small shrug.
“But you yourself said, you’re weak. And you couldn’t defeat me in your current state.” Rook taunted as he ran towards Kiva triumphant arrogant laugher accompanying him. But Kiva smiled under her helmet and she only sidestepped out of the way and kicked Rook back through the hole into the ruined gym.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Fluttershy remarked calmly. “You’re quick to anger, and anger leads to rash decisions. Just ask my friend Rainbow Dash, she could probably teach you a thing or two about that.”
Rook roared in rage, before he charged once more at Kiva only for the Garulu Saber to strike him in the shoulder. Fluttershy backflipped away and spun once her boots touched the ground again taking advantage of the fangire’s shock to land another blow across the chest before kicking him in the wounded area making Rook stagger back.
“This is my resolve, to defeat you,” Fluttershy stated as she landed another blow on Rook’s right shoulder. “And then once you are defeated, we’ll see who faces eternal judgment in the end.”
Rook let out a nearly earsplitting roar of rage and swiped at Fluttershy again and again, who leaped out of reach of the attacks beginning to get a feel for Rook’s moves. Rile him up, and although he was dangerous in that state still, he managed to become much easier to predict. At least, that’s what she thought right up till the moment till Rook managed to flip her onto the ground sending the Garulu Saber out of reach as the fangire began stomping on her.
“Who’s the big dog now?” Rook sneered before he let out a little yelp of pain as Kivat bit down on his foot.
“Kivat is!” Kivat cried triumphantly as Rook leaped up and down in pain before Fluttershy recovered and scored a powerful blow to the gut making Rook stagger. “Tick tock Rook, clock’s ticking…” Kivat chuckled as the little bat returned to his roosting place on Fluttershy’s belt.
Rook looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened as he saw the little watch on his wrist click down to zero, his time play coming to an end. He snarled. “Another day Kiva, another day.” he warned, before turning tail and running off. Fluttershy, as she clutched her chest in pain managed to stagger out of sight as well and cancel her transformation resting up against a wall as Tempest arrived at about that moment dressed in full Friendship Guard armor. She’d heard the reports of a commotion coming from the gym, and so thinking it might have had something to do with her current quarry elected to take a look. For all she knew, it could have been some punk kids deciding to graffiti up the joint, but no lead was to be left open and no stone was to be left unturned. That was her resolve.
“Damnit!” she shouted in frustration, stamping a hoof as she saw all of the dead lying about. “Kiva again!”
She then heard a small whimpering of pain, and ran over to find Fluttershy resting up against the outside walls, clutching a bleeding chest marked by a series of slashes. From the safety of a nearby tree, Kivat watched as Tempest began bandaging Fluttershy’s wounds.
“A-Are you alright?” Tempest stuttered out in shock, having never seen slashes like that before. They resembled a manticore’s but if that was the case Fluttershy had no right to be even alive. “What happened?”
“K-Kiva,” Fluttershy whispered, knowing that if she blamed herself in a way it would throw her off the trail of suspicion from actually being Kiva. After all, nobody in their right minds would suspect her anyways, and they probably wouldn’t believe in Rook even if someone who was well-established in Ponyville’s community told them.
“He attacked you? And you survived?” Tempest asked in shock, her eyes wide. “How did you…”
“Played possum, made him think he’d killed me,” Fluttershy answered before she looked at Tempest’s belt. “What’s that? Doesn’t seem like standard Royal Guard issue to me.”
“It’s nothing, nothing you need to worry about,” Tempest lied. “Hey, sure you’re going to be alright?” she asked kindly. “You look rather shook up.”
“I was attacked by Kiva, I think I have a right to be a little shook up don’t you?” Fluttershy deadpanned as Tempest helped her up off the ground and began bandaging her wounds before a call came out from inside the gym. Tempest turned to another guard, a dark midnight blue pegasus named Star Hunter and asked for him to take care of Fluttershy as Tempest herself ran back inside the gym.
“It’s okay Fluttershy, I gotcha. Nothin’ to worry about.” Star Hunter said kindly, helping Fluttershy walk to some nearby medical staff. Sure, Kiva usually left nothing behind to care for but everyone always held out hope there would be some survivors of his rampage.
“Hey Tempest, come look at this!” Flash Sentry’s voice had exclaimed as he picked up the Garulu Saber, and Tempest ran over to see just a little of it before something crimson flew by in a blinding blur of motion and swiped it from the pegasus’ hands.
“What the…?” Tempest murmured before she placed a hand to her chin and murmured: “Very interesting…”
Author's Note
Okay, apologies for the short wait for this chapter. Dunno what was, maybe it was a combination of my creative burnout from writing a little too much Toku for To the Stars and Wild Access Volume 2 or losing quite a bit of motivation after seeing this fic's bad reception -Still debating on turning the like/dislike function off by the way- but all the same this chapter took me a little bit while normally a Toku chapter homaging something I love can be done easily enough.
And yeah, I did decide to have Rainbow call Kiva "Kira" in homage to Death Note just as a gag, and give Ramon some of Jiro's backstory just because I could.
Anyways, as ever, comments, thoughts, and critique are welcomed.
Part 3: Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Her Will
The next day in Ponyville, all seemed quiet. Well, as quiet as Ponyville got anyways. There was a minor trifle with Trixie striding into town and freaking out over something Starlight had done. Fluttershy wasn’t really entirely sure what had gone on there, nor was she inclined to ask. Whenever something was related to those two -Really, she just couldn’t quite understand why they couldn’t spit out each other’s feelings- she decided it was best never to ask and just nod her head.
When she strode into the market that afternoon, whispers were already abound upon hearing of ‘Kiva’s’ latest crimes, with an increased Royal Guard presence now prevalent in the town upon Tempest’s request. Fluttershy sighed to herself, it was going to be harder than ever for her now to keep her identity under wraps.
“I just don’t get it, why won’t Princess Celestia release the idea of blood-sucking stained glass monsters to the public? It would make it easier on all of us, wouldn’t it?” Kivat asked in her head. Ever since their first Henshin together the two had been sorta physically connected in a way. Kivat didn’t mind, he personally got lonely really at times, and Fluttershy knew Angel Bunny freaked him out for whatever reason. She didn’t know why really, as that rabbit was as sweet as could be.
“Think about it, and this is of course assuming she even knows, would it be in your best interest to tell the populace that monsters who can look like ordinary ponies exist, and can change into blood-sucking creatures at any time?” Fluttershy asked. “For all we know, there could be a Fangire or two in the Royal Guard, they’re that good at hiding their identities.”
“True, if Starswirl, her mentor from what you told me didn’t know a damn thing about them, I doubt she would know. But I see your point. It would be the Changeling scare all over again,” Kivat mused. “If I was a Fangire, and thank Faust I’m not, I would get some individuals poised to strike in high ranking positions close to the Princesses. Hey, maybe that’s why Tempest is after you so much, she’s a Fangire herself, possibly the latest Queen or Bishop and you’re a threat to her continued existence!”
“Firstly,” Fluttershy replied with a small but still noticeable shudder. “Don’t ever scare me again with ideas like that, just the idea of Fangires in the Royal Guard…” she trailed off. “Secondly, Tempest is just doing her job. To her and just about everyone else if you may remember, I or rather Kiva do look like the mastermind behind all the deaths lately.”
“I’m just saying,” Kivat stated. “Everyone has secrets, you can never be too careful. She could be just biding her time, waiting for the right moment to strike… That’s what the Bishops of the past have always been, cold and calculating and very, very patient individuals. That’s why they’ve always been so dangerous, not for their power but for their sheer intelligence.”
“I honestly doubt Tempest is a Fangire, I just can’t see it. Think back to last night,” Fluttershy reminded her friend. “I was laying there bleeding, and Tempest could have easily killed me if she wanted. Me and the rest of the Royal Guard troops with her, and if asked she could have said Kiva did it.”
“Hmm, yes that is true…” Kivat mused. “But still My Lady, I’m warning. Keep an eye or two on her. That’s what I would do.”
“Well, let’s be glad I’m not your overly paranoid self hmm?” Fluttershy snarked at him in a sassy tone. “Let’s all be glad for that.”
“Oh, you wound me My Lady!” Kivat replied, in a tone of faux pain. “But seriously, I’m just looking out for your welfare, as your father would have wanted me to do. And besides, is it really paranoia if they’re always out to get you?”
“Yeah…” Fluttershy sighed, as soon as Kivat brought up her father. “I thank you for that Kivat, I really do, but at times I can look out for myself. I’ve dealt with much bigger threats than Fangires without your help, remember?”
“Yes yes, Element of Kindness and all that,” Kivat commented in a sarcastic tone with a probable roll of his eyes knowing him. “I really must thank you, again for the umpteenth time by this point, for bringing Princess Luna back from the darkness that consumed her. Really, hearing Luna, the vanquisher of the King, had become that monstrosity Nightmare Moon was really quite a fright!”
By this point, Fluttershy had stopped listening to him, and her eyes had begun to wander towards a very distinctive pure white pony wearing a rather form-fitting and frankly quite flattering silver halter top, shades over her crimson eyes and large headphones over her ears. She watched Vinyl order a few carrots from a nearby stall, and then beetroots from another, and finally an apple for good measure bobbing her head to the beat pounding in her ears the entire time and never saying a word.
Kivat sighed, knowing exactly why Fluttershy’s distinctive silence aside from a lovesick sigh meant. He groaned to himself, not this again. It was really getting quite annoying.
“Oh, it’s her again isn’t it?” Kivat remarked. “The one you’ve been nursing a crush on since… Oh, I don’t know, ever since you arrived in Ponyville? The one who likes the… what does she call them? The wubs?” he asked. “Honestly, I don;t understand why you haven’t asked her out by this point, really! Sure, her taste in music leaves much to be desired, but if you really like her…”
“W-Well, I would, but…”
“But what?” Kivat asked. “But what? You’re just too shy to go up and ask her? I mean, come one, don’t tell me you’re going to give me that same old excuse again! You’re a grown woman now! You’ve grown in confidence over the years, I’ve watched you! Surely you’ve got enough confidence to just go up and talk to one mare!”
“It’s… It’s not that…” Fluttershy stuttered out. “It’s her friend, you know the one?”
She turned her head to see a gray pony with long black hair wearing a nice suit and tie walk up to Vinyl, a violin case in her hands.
“Oh yes, Octavia, her ‘supposed’ marefriend. I say supposed, because we don’t even know if they’re actually dating. I mean, sure they go everywhere together and pretty much do everything together and even collab on music together and even live together but that doesn’t mean they’re-” Kivat rambled, before hearing a soft whimper come from Fluttershy. “...I’m not helping, am I?”
“Kivat… shut up,” Fluttershy told him. “And no, you weren’t helping. Fact is, you were listing off exactly all the reasons that make me and just about everyone else in town think Vinyl and Octavia are dating!”
“Oh for crying out loud, if they’re dating they’re being really subtle about it. I mean, as far as I know, they’re not having sex at the very least.” Kivat remarked.
“And how do you know that?” Fluttershy asked him in a warning tone.
“...I… I may have spied on them through their bedroom window a few times. Look, don’t judge me, I only want what’s best for you and besides Octavia has this long, lovely gorgeous neck!”
“...You’ve been spying on them exactly when?” Fluttershy asked, ever the more dangerously knowing there
“...Maybe when Octavia or Vinyl’s been getting out of the shower or when they’re getting dressed in the morning?” Kivat asked nervously, and Fluttershy only groaned to herself. She was so depriving Kivat of his beloved Carrot Cake after learning of this. He was a perv, a loveable one maybe and a supportive friend, but still a massive pervert. Mind you, it couldn’t be helped she supposed but maybe she could teach him a lesson on spying on ponies and their private lives. “L-Look, this is all besides the point anyways! Why don’t you just go up and ask her up on a date, or at least talk to her? You’re never going to get anywhere with her if you just stay on the sidelines like Hinata Hyuga from that Manga about the Kitsune kid I’ve caught you reading at times.”
And so, Fluttershy gathered up her courage and walked right up to Vinyl.
“H-Hey, it’s Vinyl, right? I-I’ve heard music coming from your house at times, and I-I just think it’s simply lovely. The bass drops, maybe they’re a bit loud but…” Fluttershy stammered out.
“Dude, so glad someone appreciates my music for once, at least someone in the neighborhood!” Vinyl remarked. “Do you know how many noise complaints I’ve gotten from peeved off ponies in the last month alone?”
“Well, your music, especially that track of yours you oxymoronously called ‘Silent Shout’ is hardly very quiet, is it dear?” Octavia remarked in that very upper-class Trottingham accent of hers. “And don’t get me started on that new piece you’ve been working on, Build Up is it? Oh, I’m sorry Fluttershy, you having to me ramble on about my complaints about my housemate.”
“N-No, it’s fine…” Fluttershy whispered. “I suppose I might be a bit annoyed as well…”
“You two, you just don’t understand the power of the wubs!” Vinyl harrumphed indignantly, before marching off with a remark of: “Peace out!”
“Well… That could have gone better I suppose…” Fluttershy murmured to herself hanging her head as Octavia called after Vinyl shouting her apologies.
“Hey, at least you got a few words in right? You didn’t faint, which is an improvement from the last time you tried to ask someone out on a date.” Kivat said supportively, and Fluttershy whimpered in remembrance of that last piece of embarrassment regarding Twinkleshine. “Anyways, I’ve got an idea. We should head off to Canterlot, talk to Luna. Been meaning to catch up on my family’s history, and it could prove useful to you as well.”
Fluttershy knew the previous Kiva and the previous King of the Fangires, the one that had proven to be so infamous had possession of Kivat’s father, so any information regarding him from Luna would be nice. So, that evening after booking a train to Canterlot she soon found herself outside of the doors of Luna’s personal chambers after a bat-pony guard named Galaxy Swirls had given her a few directions.
“Fluttershy, it’s been so long since we’ve last spoke,” Luna greeted with a cheerful smile after she’d opened the doors. “Please, do come in. Now, I doubt you’d have come all this way unless something was bothering you and you had to see me in person, so please speak your mind.” the Princess of the Night remarked as she sat down on her bed, her horn glowing with a blue aura. “I’m sorry, you don’t mind if I open a window do you? I find the late-night air to be quite refreshing. Plus, it seems we have a guest.” Luna remarked hearing a small tapping on the window.
“No, I don’t mind. Not at all…” Fluttershy replied, as Luna opened the doors with her magic, and in flew Kivat.
“Oh, thank Faust! I thought you two would never hear me!” Kivat exclaimed, before bowing to Princess Luna.
“Kivat?” Luna asked quizzically as the bat hung himself from the ceiling.
“I… I don’t know who that is, or what he’s doing here. I assume he’s a friend of yours?” Fluttershy squeaked out, and Luna gave her a look.
“You’ve always been a bad liar, dear Fluttershy,” Luna drawled before gesturing for her to sit next to her. Nervously, Fluttershy complied. “Relax, no need to worry, I know you’re Kiva and I will not call the guards on you. I know you will not misuse your power.”
“H-How…?” Fluttershy stammered out.
“You’ve had a few dreams about your double life, amongst a few others, even if you don’t remember them. Ponies, alas, rarely remember their dreams. I know what you’ve been doing, and I can only presume you and Kivat here are here to learn more about the previous Kiva am I right?”
“Yes,” Fluttershy answered simply.
“Well, I suppose you have a right to know…” Luna said, having already put up a few privacy spells as soon as Fluttershy had entered. “But be warned, you may not like the answers which you seek…”
1,500 Years ago:
Equestria was at war, a secret war between pony and beast to see who truly ruled the night. This war had been going on for centuries, the balance of power exchanging hands equally. Back and forth it went, sometimes the Fangire winning and sometimes the Veil of Shadows, the predecessors to what would eventually become the Wonderful Blue Sky Organization after Luna was banished to the moon.
It was truly a wonder in itself how this war had gone unnoticed for so long, but the Fangires and the Veil of Shadows were both clever groups careful to keep themselves out of the public eye thanks to a long upheld pact that both still remembered. Long ago, they’d been friends, both sides in fact, fighting against a powerful group known only as the Legendorgas and their leader, known only as Kamen Rider Arc. Maybe it was to save themselves from extinction, or maybe they truly did care for each other but eventually sometime after the defeat of the Legendorgas by the first Kiva, the first King of the Fangires that alliance… fractured.
Many years ago, a few years before the time of Starswirl the Bearded and the Pillars of Equestria, a stone fell from the sky and was discovered by one Flash Magnus. It grafted itself to him, as the story goes, sensing his will, and changed him into the most incredible of beings. The second, and possibly the most powerful Kamen Rider ever to walk the face of the planet Equus, Kamen Rider Kuuga.
Nobody ever really knew what Kuuga looked like, to be honest. Descriptions of his armor varied. Some described Kuuga as this massive towering stag-beetle like figure covered in gold and unleashing blasts of electricity, while others described him as a simple red and black hero. Only one thing was in common with the stories, he always wore this belt with the stone -Known as the Amadam- embedded within it and defeating any foe whom he came across.
The Fangires feared Kuuga, and rightfully so as it was said that a user without a strong enough will to fend off the Amadam’s power would be corrupted and one day destroy the world. That was possibly when the alliance fractured. Ponies and Fangires split apart, with Kuuga’s belt, the Arcle, being destroyed in the crossfire. Perhaps if more explanations were given, and ways of calming the Fangires and their fears were thought of, what happened next may never have occurred in the first place. But sadly, nothing was done when the secret of the Arcle was uncovered and it was destroyed.
It seemed the powers of Kuuga would be lost forever, and relishing in this newfound joy, the King of the Fangires went on a bloody campaign against Equestria. He, in secret, attacked and drained the life energy of ponies alongside his soldiers. Tragically, a newly discovered race known as the Changelings, who had a similar modus operandi but only took what they needed to survive were blamed and banished from Equestria forever creating a grudge that is still upheld by the former Queen Chrysalis today amongst other hardliners.
But in a rare show of kindness from the King, or perhaps it was something else as he wanted ponies to fear what lurked in the shadows, he deliberately ordered his Fangires never to reveal themselves publicly unless absolutely necessary. The only hints of them existing in the first place were the bodies they left behind and one other thing, Kamen Rider Kiva AKA the King himself.
The powers of Kiva had been passed down throughout the King’s lineage, the first Kiva being the one to seal away Kamen Rider Arc and his minions in the Legendorgas. Now, they had fallen to him, with Kivat the Second being the one to currently hold the powers of Kiva.
And so, King as he was only known carried out his bloody slaughter of races all across Equestria and perhaps beyond. Any race that was deemed a threat to his rule, like the Sirens, the Thestrals, or the Timberwolves was systematically hunted down and slaughtered. Some races managed to find shelter for a time, such as the Thestrals or devolved out of pure necessity in the Timberwolves so they would not be hunted down and killed in the Fangire King’s mad quest for power and absolute control. Finally, someone, that someone being Princess Luna and the Regent of the Night had enough and uncovered ancient texts on the Amadam and was able to create a second Arcle. While it would never be as powerful as the first, finally there was someone able to stand against the King’s power and possibly topple him from his throne.
King got wind of the news quickly, and send a message to Luna challenging her to a battle. Luna graciously accepted, and met him in what would eventually become the Whitetail Woods, known as the Whispering Hollows back then.
“This ends tonight. For the sake of protecting everyone's smiles, and protecting Equestria and the lands beyond from your tyranny, I will become the next Kuuga. Henshin!”
In a bright flash of red light with the full moon at her back, Luna transformed into a red stag beetle-themed warrior, with gold trimmings and two bright red eyes staring down the vampiric form of King.
“Very well, so be it…” King growled. “Zanbat!”
In a flash of flame, he summoned a powerful looking longsword that seemed to glimmer like stained glass. Marching forwards, he left singes of flame in his wake as he transformed into Kiva, black and red armor covering him as Kivat roosted himself on King’s belt. A long billowing black cape flowing from behind him, as two devilish blue eyes stared Luna down.
“Guess it’s time for a little dance amongst the stars. Entropy may claim all things eventually, but rest assured I will not falter,” Luna stated as she summoned a sword of her own and the blades clashed, sparks flying off of them as metal met metal. “In fact, I assure you I will make sure of it Entropy claims you sooner, not later.”
“Bold words from a Princess, while I am KING!” King shouted, and the shadows below him seemed to form into a symbol resembling a massive bat. The symbol flew towards Luna, shadowy tendrils erupting from the ground beneath her and binding her in place. The Symbol then rose up from the ground behind her, and soon she found herself pinned to it.
King closed up his fist and pulled Luna towards him, before punching the Princess of the Night back towards the signal where volts of electricity were sent through her body. Luna screamed out in pain, agonizing shrieks echoing throughout the darkened forest.
King smirked. “Checkmate.” he stated simply, before inserting a small whistle-like device into Kivat’s mouth.
“WAKE UP!” Kivat boomed, and King leaped into the air launching a flying side kick at Luna, his boot glowing with a dark red energy.
Luna, at the very last moment managed to free herself from the symbol, and managed to grab King by the leg and swing him around before tossing him into a group of trees flattening them and sending them flying like they were simply toothpicks. King managed to pick himself up from the impact crater he’d landed in, and snarled at Luna who was picking herself up off the ground.
“How… How?”
“I will pick myself up off the ground as many times as needed, all to defeat you. I will not rest until you fall, and Equestria is freed from your madness. I am Princess Luna, Regent of the Night and the Lunar Invictus. And you King, are nothing but a madman.”
With that, her body began to glow golden before an anklet appeared around her left leg. Feeling new power rushing through her body with this new evolution, she picked up her sword and it charged itself with this new power as well. She slashed downwards sending a golden thrust of energy out from her blade just as King ran towards her Zanbat blade in hand.
The slice cut through King’s body, and his armor, and before he had a chance to recover he was blindsided by a powerful right hook from Luna shattering the side of his helmet.
“How… How dare you!?!” King roared, before sending multiple fireballs towards Luna. For whatever reason, she heard a voice in her head urging her to pick up a piece of nearby lumber and for whatever reason, she complied. Pure golden energy rushed through this piece, as Luna’s costume turned a pure midnight blue and the piece of wood was transmogrified into a bo staff.
Spinning the staff in her hands, she managed to create a powerful gust of wind that sent all of the fireballs rushing back towards King. He was barely affected of course and his sword met Luna’s bo staff, the two dancing around in the moonlight.
Strikes hit or missed, Luna thrusting her staff into King’s chest multiple times making him stagger while she herself felt the bane of the Zanbat Sword. The Sword, it seemed to growl every time it hit her, and Luna felt her power beginning to seep away inch by inch.
“Why… how is that…?”
“Possible?” King asked with a laugh. “You don’t get it, do you? How naive you are. Each slash of the Zanbat Sword, it bleeds away just that little bit of your soul’s energy. And as the Fangires learned along ago, the Amadam and the energy of the Soul are connected… Well, figure that part out for yourself.”
With that, he slammed Luna against the shadowy Kivat symbol once more and she screamed out in pain.
“I… I need more power. I need to protect… I need to protect everyone!” she yelled.
“Give up!” King said. “You will fall, and the Fangires will reign. Darkness will creep across the land, and I’m sad to say you will not be a part of the new regime. So do yourself a favor, and stop this nonsense about protecting everyone. It’s impossible, nobody can do that.”
“No, don’t you ever say that. Don’t you ever, ever say that. I am the Princess of the Night, one of the two Rulers of Equestria and letting my kingdom fall to a monster like you…” Luna stated and her red suit turned a black shade, anklets appearing around both legs this time as a newfound surge rushed through her. “Is not acceptable. So you give up, on saying I should give up!”
With that, she rushed towards King in a blur of unfathomed speed, and he just barely raised the Zanbat Sword in time to block the blow. All the while, a voice, the same male one from before warned Luna to hold back. This power was new to her, and if she wasn’t careful she could become exactly what the legends about Kuuga stated she could be. The destroyer of the world.
The Zanbat sword went flying from King’s hands as he was sent backwards by the sheer force of the kick. He roared out in rage, and the two once more began exchanging powerful blows, with King at one point leaping into the air and drop-kicking Luna into the ground, a massive crater being formed by the force of the blow. A powerful punch from Luna impacted King in the stomach and sent him flying skywards. Luna spread her wings, and summoned her sword once more before slashing King across the chest and then sending energy towards her right hoof and she unleashed a powerful golden electricity infused kick to King’s stomach sending him flying far beyond the bounds of the woodland.
Luna, panting and sweating lowered herself back to ground level, before noticing a crack in her Amadam stone, before both it and the belt shattered canceling out her transformation. Luna sighed sadly as she picked up the stone’s shattered remains. Perhaps… she mused it was for the best. Nobody should have had that kind of power anyways.
“Looking back. I wonder if I’m still right about that,” Luna mused as she looked out towards the moon, a breeze rushing in through the open windows. “After all, you using the powers of Kiva, proves King’s lineage is alive and well and he was not destroyed that day.”
“A-Are you really so sure?” Fluttershy whispered in fear, the sheer idea of a being that was able to almost overpower and nearly kill Luna still existing in some form being absolutely terrifying. “I mean, how do you he didn’t just father a child before you killed him?”
“It is possible I suppose, but the Fangires have been growing in power as of late. The reappearance of a Rook is evidence of that. Be strong Fluttershy, for your true test of being a Rider has only just begun.”
“I-I’ll try, and I will carry on your will, and if the time comes, defeat King once and for all.”
Luna smiled secretly, as if at some private joke as she looked at Kivat hovering over Fluttershy’s shoulder and thought to herself: “Perhaps you already have…”
Author's Note
Okay, just want to clarify a few things. One, I freely admit I've never seen much of Kuuga beyond two episodes of Decade and the final arc of Wizard and was going off the wiki so if I got anything wrong here I apologize. Now, I also want to state Kuuga (At least Luna as Kuuga) never reached Ultimate state, she only managed to get so far as Amazing Mighty. And before you hark on me for King actually managing to hold off Amazing Mighty if only for a few moments, remember it took both Dark Kiva and Kiva Emperor to take him down.
Now, for the lineage of Riders.
Kamen Rider Arc: Unknown
Kamen Rider Kiva 1: Unknown
Kamen Rider Kuuga 1: Flash Magnus
Kamen Rider Kiva 2: King
Kamen Rider Kuuga 2: Luna
Kamen Rider Kiva 3: Fluttershy
Kamen Rider IXA: Tempest Shadow
Next time, the Polar Bear Fangire, and Kamen Rider IXA makes her debut in: When the Saints go Marching In...
As ever, comments, thoughts, and critique are welcomed.
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Part 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Her Beginnings
Ponyville Emergency Hospital
Fluttershy always hated hospitals, really. Always much too sterile for her liking, and then there was the multitude of bad memories associated with them really. Chief amongst which was the obvious case.
“Flutters, for the sake of our family, and by Faust I know you’re far too young to take up this burden, you need to protect the world.”
“P-Protect the world from what daddy?” Fluttershy asked.
“After I leave, you will learn. I’m sorry my daughter, I wish it didn’t have to be this way, I wish I didn’t have to pass on the burden I should be carrying to you but…”
“But? But what?” Fluttershy asked before she realized her father’s hand had gone limp, and the heart rate monitor had flat-lined. “Daddy! DADDY!”
Fluttershy had pounded on the bedsheets with her tiny fists for what must have seemed like an eternity, till all her tears were finally spent and the doctors and nurses never did try to pry her away from her father. They’d just let her cry. After all, what else could they do really?
Eventually, Fluttershy found herself waiting out in the lobby, her mother sadly had been far too caught up with work to learn of her husband’s passing until an hour after the tragic event and was currently en route to pick up her grieving daughter and her husband’s remains for a proper Cloudsdale burial. These generally consisted of spreading the ashes of the deceased to the wind, back to the gales from where the pegasi were originally rumored to come from.
It was said long ago, the great creator Faust had breathed life into the winds and the very first pegasi had taken shape. Crude, and barely able to fly they eventually learned and evolved over the years into the modern day pegasus specimen. But that was neither here nor there.
“I’m sorry Ms. Fluttershy, I truly am…” a voice said in Fluttershy’s head as a strange little bat creature with a coat the shade of blade and bright golden eyes said sorrowfully as he landed next to her.
“W-Who are you?” Fluttershy squeaked out in fear at the creature’s sharp little fangs. They… They almost reminded of her of a vampire’s. She squeaked out in fear once more, a vampire bat! “St-Stay away!” she yelped out.
“Relax, I’m not here to hurt you, and I never will. My name is Kivat. Kivat the Third at your service,” he introduced himself, doing a little bow. “I apologize for surprising you Ms. Fluttershy, I fully assure you that was not my intent. I wish meeting you was under better circumstances, I really wish it was, but-”
“But what?” Fluttershy squeaked out, even as Kivat wiped away her tear stains with a wing.
“...Like I said, my name is Kivat the Third, and one of your family’s personal retainers. I was instructed never to show myself around you, never to do so unless your father was to leave this world. He didn’t want you to meet with me, and I can’t say I blame him.”
“H-How come?” Fluttershy whispered.
“Because he knew if we were ever to meet, you would have to take up a responsibility that should have been his, and his alone.”
“What r-responsibility?” Fluttershy whispered, not sure she really wanted to know.
“...The responsibility of being Queen of the Fangires, a race Equestria’s best warriors in the Veil of Shadows or whatever they call themselves now have long been fighting. Your father was supposed to become King and stay in that seat till the day he died and peace was fostered when Luna returned from the moon, but sadly that seems that’s not fated to be.”
“F-Fangires?” Fluttershy whispered.
“Vampires, only made of stained glass. Your father, he was the previous King, in charge of keeping them in line but one Fangire, who I nor the rest of his retainers have yet to discover saw fit to it that would not come to pass,” Kivat explained. “They’re an unruly bunch, they don’t like to be controlled except by a Fangire of pure blood, and your father was anything but. He was only half-blood, a Dhampyr. While that technically counts as enough to sit on the throne, some would not see that, and conspired against him.”
“Throne? Retainers? King, a Queen? Fangires? C-Conspired?” Fluttershy whispered, this all being too much to take in at once for the time being, and her head was beginning to hurt from all the thoughts beginning to swarm through it.
“...I’m sorry, I really wish I didn’t have to dump this on you. I… I wish your father was given more time, so he could explain this to you in person, and train you in the art of defense. Make no mistake Fluttershy of Cloudsdale, no matter what position you found yourself in, you would have been targeted. ...By the Lady Luna, you’re only ten and now this…” Kivat whispered, sounding as if he was close to tears himself. “Damn that dragon. Damn him, he had to set things into motion far too soon! You weren’t supposed to ever become Kiva!” he hissed out, thankful the lobby was quite empty so nobody would ever learn of the long-held secrets being exposed.
“Kiva?” Fluttershy whispered, her fear being replaced by another emotion common to that of a child her age. Curiosity.
“Another title for the ruler of the Fangires. Old word, most know it as Kiba or simply Fang today in the common tongue but it was originally meant as the term for the armor worn by whoever ruled the Fangires. The bond between a member of the Kivat species such as myself, and one who Fangire blood running through their veins.”
“And this… dragon?” Fluttershy squeaked out.
“Unknown, long ago your father went out on an expedition to find a mysterious legend known as Tatsulot, free him from his captives accompanied by a member of the modern-day Veil of Shadows, a stallion known as Night Light,” Kivat continued to explain. “Somewhere beyond Equestria in this place known as Klugetown, if what I’m told is correct they encountered this dragon, who poisoned your father in a battle to free this ‘Tatsulot’. It was a slow burning poison, but it was fatal nonetheless. I… I just didn’t expect for it to catch up to your father this fast, only two years after he was bitten. I was hoping you’d have a little more time before, well… You know.”
“I… I understand.”
In hindsight, Fluttershy suspected this was what kickstarted her fear of dragons, and why when a certain red dragon came to roost in a mountain high above Ponyville for his hundred-year hibernation she was so scared to face him in case it turned out to be who she feared it to be.
Spike was another story, he was a baby dragon and hardly dangerous, especially with such a wonderful mother. But she was terrified of every other dragon to exist on this earth, simply because they’d taken her father away from her. Maybe Ember and her little sister Smolder were exceptions, but they’d proven themselves to be hardly anything to be afraid of. Maybe a bit rough around the edges, but both bore hearts of gold underneath their rough exteriors.
“But who is this we you keep talking about Kivat?” Fluttershy had to ask. Kivat blushed.
“Ah, apologies Milady, if you permit me to call you that.”
“I… I don’t mind,” Fluttershy replied with a small blush. If her father was a King of some sort, that technically made her a Princess right? It was only proper in that case for Kivat to refer to her as he did.
“Okay then! Milady I shall call you from here on in!” Kivat declared happily before his expression turned serious once more. “Anyways, well I believe it’s best they explain in person. Well, not maybe person but you’ll see what I mean.”
With that, the air around Fluttershy shimmered and she found herself inside a grand castle of some sort, moonlight shining through the massive windows. The Mare in the Moon stood watchfully from her position, as three creatures stepped out of the shadows. Fluttershy knew what they were, just from the many books about animals -even mythical ones- she’d read.
“Jiro, Ramon, and Riki,” Kivat stated as each of the three waved a little hello. Fluttershy nervously waved back. Despite feeling no ill intent from these creatures, they were still rather scary in appearance and Jiro, in particular, was a member of a known pony eating species. “A Timberwolf, a Siren, and of course the legendary Frankenstein’s Monster, who needs no-RIKI! Get that damn filth out of your hands! There’s a filly present!”
He’d smacked a piece of magazine our of Riki’s large hands and out a window with glass shattering and tinkling to the floor nearby. Fluttershy didn’t really see much of the magazine before Kivat had disposed of it, but it did depict a mare with very large flanks with very little covering them.
“Honestly, honestly…” Ramon muttered. “Have you no class?”
“Well, he was made from the parts of seven ponies, seven ponies already dead and brought to life via black magic, so what do you expect?” Jiro asked. “A world-class gentleman? I mean, hello Ramon, get realistic here!”
Kivat facewinged, not the introduction he would have liked for poor Fluttershy.
“For the record,” Jiro said solemnly, laying a wooden paw on his new mistress’s shoulder. “We’re very sorry for your loss. Your father… he was a great man. Rest assured, his death shall not go unavenged. We will track down the Fangire who did this to your father, and we will kill him.”
Like that, a friendship was born, the two eternal partners. The pony and the timberwolf, two creatures which never should have met let alone become friends but because of their shared pasts, they overcame that barrier of predator and prey.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Kivat stated. “We’re not forcing you into this battle.”
“No, I want to find whoever killed my father, and avenge him. I want you all to train me.” she asked, and Kivat and Jiro shared a sorrowful look.
“Then, starting tomorrow it shall be done. But for now,” Kivat stated, putting a claw to Fluttershy’s forehead and sending her into a dreamless slumber. “Rest. Luna knows you need it.
Fast forwards seventeen years, and Fluttershy was ready. The Fangires had seemingly gone into hiding upon their King’s death almost as if in fear as to what was to come next. They had every right to be afraid, as shown when Fluttershy finally tracked down her father’s murderer.
“You…” she stated coldly to the one who ruined her life. The dragon? He was none the wiser and just saw Fluttershy as another chance to feed. Just like that, the black dragon changed into a deep blue kirin-like monster. Almost as if in mockery of the very races Fluttershy was trying to protect. A fury filled her, and she bellowed out one simple name.
“KIVAT!” Fluttershy shouted, and the Fangire’s eyes widened in fear as a strange little crimson bat fluttering down to Fluttershy’s side.
“No, no… It can’t be. No, not-” the Fangire stuttered out in fear, his stained-glass coat showing his dragon form frozen in an expression of absolute panic.
“Guess what, it is,” Fluttershy hissed out. “Have you made your peace with the Lady Faust, Fangire? Because congratulations, you’re about to meet her. You took my father away from me 17 years ago to this day, and now it’s time to pay the piper. Henshin!”
“Biting!” Kivat nodded before he bit down on Fluttershy’s arm -A distorted violin’s strings filling the air- and a strange power began to fill her before she found herself clad in silver and red armor, two bright moon-like eyes adorning her winged helmet. Blood rushing, she stared down the Kirin Fangire and let out a low growl. This… This was what her father had died trying to protect her from, the responsibility of trying to take on these things alone. She was beyond mad, no she was furious her blood beginning to boil.
Letting out a loud screech of unadulterated pure anger, the newly crowned Princess Kiva let out a flurry of punches not even the Fangire was expecting. The Fangire was on his last ropes, and Fluttershy was about to strike one final blow. She pulled back her fist, and just before she could shatter the creature something stopped her, something seemed to hold her back. She looked, and saw a figure, faintly shimmering in the crimson moonlight.
The eyes of his helmet shone a bright green as he slowly became visible. win black wings stuck out of the back of the helmet He, as he could only be of the male gender via the build alone was dressed from head to toe in crimson armor with a black chest plate that like the wings of a bat, seemed to extend past him and into his black billowing cape. The figure resembled Kiva in all respects, but much more regal and missing a Kivat roosting on his belt.
“D-Daddy?” Fluttershy whispered, and from his shocked expression on her belt Kivat seemed to see him as well.
“Please Fluttershy,” her father whispered, in that warm loving fatherly tone his daughter knew all too well. “Restrain yourself, your powers… I never meant them to be used as an instrument of murder or vengeance. I only wanted the best for you, you understand? I don’t want you to become this cold monstrous creature. Don’t kill this beast out of simple rage, but just do it to save those who cannot defend themselves. That’s the duty of a Kamen Rider, not a warrior who strikes down those who oppose them out of simple fury, but someone who protects. Kill him yes, but do it not because of vengeance.”
“I… I understand,” Fluttershy whispered, as her father’s armor briefly changed to this red phoenix-themed warrior before shifting back to that of the Kiva armor. “T-Thank you, Daddy, for reminding me of who I am.”
Her father’s helmet faded away, and for one brief moment, Fluttershy was allowed to see her father’s smile again before he faded away into the dark once more. Her features hardened, and she placed a whistle-like device into Kivat’s mouth.
“WAKE UP!”
Leaping upwards, before rocketing towards the Fangire with the bloody red moon at her back, Fluttershy smashed into the unicorn monster before it shattered into pieces. Panting, Fluttershy canceled her transformation and looked at the massive imprint left in the ground by her kick, before walking away. “I understand now Dad. I will pick myself up as many times off the ground as possible, all to protect the smiles of the ponies I care for. My name is Fluttershy Breeze, and I am Kamen Rider Kiva.”
The Present Day:
Returning her thoughts back to the present time, Fluttershy nervously watched as Tempest was rushed to the ICU on a stretcher by Nurse Redheart and another pony. She sighed, and sat herself down on a nearby chair, next to this little hedgehog Fluttershy recognized as Grubber. Grubber, he was reading this manga about this skull-masked wearing character. The reader was getting a few strange looks, which was understandable as this ‘Skull Man’ was ruthless, almost to Kiva levels, in taking out his foes.
“You alright?” she asked Tempest’s loyal assistant.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, Tempest will be alright. She’s been through worse than this. I know she’ll be alright, I just know it!” he stammered out quickly, sounding like he was trying more to reassure himself than anyone else.
To his surprise, Fluttershy then pulled Grubber into a hug.
“It’s okay, you can say it. You’re worried about her, just as I am.”
“...Yeah, I am. I promised myself to always be by her side, and now when she needed me most, I… I was never there to protect her!” Grubber whispered, his manga left forgotten. Fluttershy suppressed a wince, if only she could tell the poor little thing the truth.
“Did… Did I ever tell you how me and Tempest met?” Fluttershy asked nervously, and Grubber shook his head.
“Wait, didn’t you guys meet when Tempest was… y’know, consumed with rage, vengeance and all that?” Grubber asked.
“Yes, I suppose, but I meant met as friends.”
“Oh, in that case… no, definitely no.”
“Hey, you okay?” Fluttershy asked as she walked up to the mare formerly known as Tempest Shadow. Behind them, fireworks exploded in the sky in a multitude of colors and music blared in the background, DJ-Pon3 showing off her stuff.
“...Does it look like I’m okay?” Tempest asked in her usual sarcastic biting tone she reserved for just about everyone really.
“Want to talk about it?” Fluttershy asked as she sat down beside the broken mare.
“Not really, no,” Tempest replied grumpily. “But as I have a feeling you won’t leave until I spill my feelings or some such shit, I might as well tell you. The question I keep asking myself is… well, why? Why did I get sucked into the Storm King’s lies? Why did I want to believe so hard he’d restore my horn someday, even when I knew deep down inside that’s all his lies were, just lies.”
“Because you did want to believe it, it’s as simple as that. Twilight told me what happened to you, you know that right? Between you, your friends, and that Ursa Minor.”
“She shouldn’t have…” Tempest growled, her horn sparking angrily.
“To be honest, and I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, maybe those friends of yours weren’t really worth the trouble,” Fluttershy sighed to herself, and Tempest stared at her eyes widened in shock. Fluttershy, the so-called Element of Kindness bad-mouthing ponies? It was unthinkable! “They left you Fizzlepop, when you needed their help and support the most. I can’t forgive anypony for that. That Ursa Minor… He crippled you. I don’t know a lot about unicorn culture, but I understand this much, magic is a way of life to you. Losing access to that… Faust above I can’t simply imagine wh-”
She then heard Tempest sniffling, trying so hard to fight back the tears that had been threatening to break all night. Fluttershy pulled the older mare into a hug, and whispered: “Hey, it’s okay. Shh… It’s okay,” Fluttershy whispered, stroking Tempest’s back as the mare sobbed into her shoulder. “I won’t ever give up on you, I won’t ever leave you.”
And through her tears, Tempest managed to choke out a small, whispered: “Why?”
“My father, he had this saying. It went: “ Because if there is a hand reaching for help, and I don't reach out my hand when I can, the regret would make me wish I were dead... I reach out my hand, because I don't want that.” I don’t want to see you become a shadow of yourself Tempest, you understand? I want to help you.”
“T-Thank you…” Tempest whispered.
“Holy cow…” Grubber muttered after he’d heard the story, the two now walking down the hallways to Tempest’s room. Eventually, they reached it, and inside they could see Tempest laying in a bad gently sleeping as if nothing had ever happened. “I… I wish I could have been like you, you know? Supporting Tempest all throughout her life.”
“Silly-billy, you have been, you’ve been there longer then I have for her, ever since she first joined up with the Storm King. You’ve been trying to make her smile, and honestly, it’s you I should thank.” Fluttershy replied kindly.
“Really?” Grubber whispered and Fluttershy nodded.
“Yes, really.”
Twilight rushed in about then, panting and sweating. “I… I heard what happened, is Tempest alright?”
“I… I don’t know. I saw her in this strange form of armor collapse in front of me! I brought her here as soon as I could!” Fluttershy exclaimed in fear.
“Oh, Faust… I thought… I thought I’d fixed those flaws, but I…” Twilight whispered out in what was a mixture of shame, self-digust and fear as she saw Tempest laying in bed in front of her.
“Flaws? What flaws?” Grubber demanded.
“The armor, the one used to fight Kiva, it had… issues. It wasn’t supposed to be used in prolonged battles, not until the flaws were ironed out and it became less of a danger to the user! Damnit Tempest, why… why did you have to be so stubborn!?!” Twilight exclaimed, fighting back tears.
“Because she thought what she was doing was best,” Kivat’s voice said as he flew through an open window. Fluttershy’s eyes widened before she sighed. Guess there was no sense in keeping this secret any longer, at least from Twilight and Grubber. Tempest as well, once she woke up.
“W-What do you mean? And who are you?” Twilight stuttered out at the strange bat-like creature.
“Name’s Kivat the Third, so pleased to finally make your acquaintance Princess.”
“How… How do you know Tempest?”
“Because he’s my partner,” Fluttershy sighed as Kivat landed on her shoulder. “Because I’m Kiva.”
“No, that can’t be true. It… It just can’t! Kiva’s a murderer, and you’re… well, you!” Twilight shouted, staggering back in shock.
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong!” Tatsulot exclaimed as he alongside Kiva-La flew in through an open window like Kivat before them. “If anything, you owe Flutters here a thank you! Seriously, she’s been working her ass off fighting off Fangires day and night!”
“Who are you?” Fluttershy asked. She knew Kiva-La from seeing her around Castle Doran but not this little creature cute as he was.
“Tatsulot, at your service MIlady!” the little gold dragon exclaimed, doing a small little bow. “Tension Fortissimo!”
“F-Fangires?” Twilight stuttered out. “I… I thought they went extinct years ago!”
“...Seriously?” Tatsulot asked. “Per Faust, Princess, sei davvero cieco!” he exclaimed. “Seriously, surely Luna told you!”
“N-No, she didn’t!”
“She’s got a good reason not to, remember Tatsulot?” Kivat remarked, shooting a look at his fellow castle-mate. Unlike Jiro and the rest, he knew he’d taken up residence in Castle Doran. “I’m sorry Princess, Luna just didn’t want to incite panic. Fangires! Just imagine your classic vampires crossed with Changelings, they could be in your guard and you’d never know it!”
“Y-You mean…?” Twilight stammered out. She’d heard brief references to things called Fangires in her books, but as they were so fleeting and far between she’d dismissed them.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Kivat remarked. You’ve been chasing after the wrong suspect this entire time Princess.”
“See, told ya,” Grubber said. At any other time, he’d probably be wearing a smug smile but given the seriousness of the situation at hand…
“How… How do I know any of what you’re saying is true?” Twilight stammered out. “How do I know I shouldn’t just call the guard on all of you here and now?”
“Because I actually have proof?” Tatsulot smirked. “And because I’m a genius who knows everything?”
“No, he’s an idiot,” Kivat snarked, looking directly at the little gold dragon. Kiva-La looked quite annoyed at her brother calling her mate an idiot but said nothing. “But as this as his story to be told…”
“Right, well! Here we go. Prepare yourselves, principesse, for I’ve got quite the tale of heroism and tension fortissimo to tell you!” Tatsulot exclaimed, flapping his wings ever the more excitedly.
“...I swear he doesn’t really know what that phrase means…” Kivat muttered before his sister hissed at him to be quiet as Tatsulot began to speak…
Groaning out, both Night Light and Sky Shy, the future King found themselves trudging through the desert wastes far beyond Equestria, a ramshackle city with air-ships attached to it via ropes off in the distance.
“Kludgetown,” Kiva-La chirped. “Never will you find a greater hive of scum and villainy. Seriously, that place is chock full of ne'er-do-wells from the ground up. Can’t believe we had to wind up here off all places…” she muttered.
“...Remind me again why we’re coming to this place?” Night Light asked. He had a newborn son at home, and yet here he was going off on some adventure with his friend. He understood the need for the Blue Sky Organization to track down any rumors of any potential Fangires and follow them up, but this was ridiculous even for them!
“Aside from the rumor of this Fangire in the area,” Sky Shy explained as they trudged into town, eyes from every corner of the city and every alleyway watching them leerfully as dark chuckles came from various locations all around him. Night Light swallowed nervously as he saw a stall selling unicorn horns. “I’m here for someone. Both me and Kiva-La are.”
He spied a cage, and a small gold dragon-like creature flapping about inside it trying to break free.
“There!” Kiva-La shouted, and flew over to the cage only to be knocked aside by a massive black claw, belonging to this dragon that had two tusks jutting out of either side of his head and sharp fangs. Around his waist, he wore this strange belt that looked to have slots for three different medals or something similar.
“Sorry, you’re not getting your hands on my little prize. This little thing, he’s been on the run for far too long, quite hard to catch I must admit. But now, he’s going back to Lord Torch where he belongs.”
“Drop the act, I know what you are… Fangire.” Sky Shy said, holding up his palm and displaying a tattoo of the Kiva insignia on it. The dragon’s eyes widened in fear before he launched a breath of flame at his King. Market-goers screamed in fear as both Night Light and Sky Shy rolled out of the way to dodge it. Night Light brought out a little rod and swung it with it changing into this whip-like sword or jute. He struck the dragon several times, but didn’t seem to do much damage.
“There’s… There’s got to be a way to beat this guy!” Sky Shy shouted before his friend spotted some very distinctive red medals on a nearby market stall. They seemed to call out to him, and the dragon -whom they would later know as Tiamat- shot a blast of flame at Night Light as soon as he realized what the unicorn had seen.
Thankfully, Night Light was much too nimble for him. “Here, catch!” Night Light shouted as he tossed the avian themed medals to his friend.
Tatsulot nervously watched as Sky Shy caught the tossed medals in his hands. Tiamat's eyes were soon to follow as a belt with three slots formed on Lord Shy’s waist, a golden scanner-like device also coming into existence with a flash of red flame. Tiamat snarled. If that’s the way it was going to be...
“Shark,Whale,Seawolf:Sa~ Ku~Oo!” the dragon’s driver proclaimed as water gathered itself up from the desert sands all around Tiamat and changed him into this gold eyed warrior, with a shark-themed helmet, with a chest plate themed after some sort of whale. In one of his claws, he held this massive red lance. “Call me… Kamen Rider Poseidon. I have to admit, for a Fangire -Yes, I know what you are- even you have nerve taking those medals and using them for your own, just to free that worthless winged rat.”
Sky Shy begged to differ on that aspect.
“It doesn't matter if I'm not a pony. Even if I have the same powers as you, I'm not like you. And if you say you want to destroy the world, I will use this power for love and peace. That's the kind of Kamen Rider I believe in!” the future Lord Shy stated, dropping all three metals into his belt, and running the scanner across them.
“Hawk, Peacock, Condor: Ta~Ja~Dol!” the driver proclaimed, even as it’s user was turned into a bright red warrior with a winged helmet, a chest plate depicting all three animals used in the medal combo and a shield on the right arm. Six flaming wings erupted from the newest Kamen Rider’s back.
“Who do you think you are?” the dragon/Kamen Rider Poseidon snarled.
“I don’t know, guess I’m a Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider OOO, I’m above such titles like naming myself after ancient gods.” the newly coronated OOO remarked. With that, he rocketed towards Poseidon, a burst of hot air erupting from behind him before smashing him through several market stalls and into the interior of some poor sap’s apartment.
“Okay, that is it, Verko is relocating! I am outta here!” some naked mole rat-like creature shouted as he grabbed a couple of cages full of exotic birds and ran out the nearest exit. “I should have listened to my mother and become a crime boss instead! Just you wait and see, I’ll be running this town within a few years!”
Snarling as he slid back, wings flared, Kamen Rider Poseidon then leaped forwards to perform a corkscrew kick as water spun around his foot like a whirlpool. With a loud clang, it connected with the shield on OOO’s arm before Sky Shy grabbed his opponent by the leg, and slammed him into the ground, cracking the floor beneath him.
Poseidon was quick to recover and launched a flurry of punches at his opponent some which were caught or blocked. Sadly, as Lord Shy was so caught up with trying to block this particular onslaught he didn’t exactly see what was coming next. Poseidon used this chance given to him to pick up his lance and slice Lord Shy across the chest with it several times before kicking him back out onto the street and into the dirt below, a small cloud of dust being kicked up where he landed.
“For the current King of Fangires, I was expecting much more of a fight. Huh, guess today really is a day full of surprises,” Tiamat shrugged to himself as Lord Shy struggled to pick himself up off the ground. “Hmph, who knows. Maybe I’ll be able to take the throne for myself.”
“Now see… That’s not going to happen, not in my lifetime,” the future Lord Shy replied as he stepped forwards, his boots leaving behind small flickers of flame in their wake. He smirked under his helmet, even he could tell Tiamat was intimidated by that by how he staggered backwards in fear, and was starting to rethink battling his King. “Not ever, you understand? No monster like you will ever be seated on the throne.”
“Oh, we’ll see. We’ll see,” Poseidon remarked overcoming his fear even as he began to create a ball of scalding hot water in his hands. “See, the Fangire race has been on the downturn as of late. We’ve been hiding out, just trying to etch out a living on meager feedings here and there. Hikers vanishing on woodland walks, explorers never returning from their adventures. That sort of thing. Someday soon, we will RISE!”
With that, he fired the blast of water right at OOO, causing him to roll to the side. Night Light’s eyes widened, before he threw up a shield of magic to block the attack. Sky Shy’s eyes narrowed under his helmet before he launched a series of flaming disks from the little shield on his arm. All three disks of fire hit, making the so-called Kamen Rider Poseidon stagger back.
“Look at you, so selfish!” Poseidon snarled, as he launched a series of cyclonic winds from the tip of his lance towards Sky Shy, who was just barely managing to hold them back with his shield. “You could be so much more, with both the powers of the King of Fangires and these medals combined, instead you choose not to use either of them to their full potential!”
“And you know why?” Sky Shy/OOO asked even as he began to slide backwards from the sheer force of the howling winds. “Because I’m not like you, a monster. I’ve heard of the power of the Greeds, and those Core Medals of yours? They’re consuming you, and soon you’ll just want more and more of that power until there’s nothing left of you.”
At the time, the Future Lord Shy would think nothing of it, but he did feel a strange desire inside him as well, those three Core Medals he’d used calling out for more and more. Poseidon was actually more right on the money than he realized, he was dangerously close to mixing Fangire and Greeed genetics and whatever the end result would be, it would be a terrifying combination.
“I’m going to take those Medals from you, and then seal them away where nobody else can ever find them,” OOO declared, pointing a finger at Kamen Rider Poseidon’s chest. He smirked when he saw the Rider visibly stagger back in shock, and slightly loosen his grip on his lance causing the howling winds to calm themselves somewhat. “And then, I’m coming to do the same with my own, and my driver so nobody will ever be consumed by these things and their lust ever again.
Tiramat let out a loud nearly-earsplitting roar of rage, before unfurling his wings and rocketing towards his fellow Kamen Rider who flipped over him at the very last second, and launched another series of flaming disks at his opponent. However, it seemed Poseidon had anticipated this, and pulled out his lance and created a shield of more cyclonic slashing winds to block the attack.
“This… This is getting too dangerous to wage this battle in this marketplace,” OOO thought to himself, as he looked around to see various Kludgetown residents scattering and hiding behind various stalls. He’d also saw the damage caused by the battle between the two Riders. “Time to take this battle to the sky.”
With that, he rocketed towards Poseidon and fired another series of flaming disks, and the sea-themed Rider only chucked. “That again?” he asked, as he sidestepped to avoid the attacks. “You’re getting predictable. Try something-”
“New?” Sky Shy asked. “Just what I was thinking, how about we take this elsewhere?” he asked, as he grabbed Poseidon by the waist before tossing him upwards. “We’re both flyers, right? Sure, you may be Overlord of the Sea, and me Overlord of the Flame, but we both understand the freedom of flight right? The appreciation the wind and the gales brings us, nobody to bother us but our fellow flyers.”
With that, they began to clash over and over, leaving behind trails of blue and red in their wake becoming blurs in the sky above. As the two rocketed above the skies above Kludgetown, both Night Light and Kiva-La watched nervously, before the little bat set herself about freeing Tatsulot.
“Long time no see eh Tatsulot?” Kiva-La asked kindly, as she handed Night Light a lockpick and watched as the unicorn began trying to jimmy the lock open.
“Kiva-La, surprised you even made it out this far,” Tatsulot teased. “But Molto Bene! So glad you came when you did, never thought I’d ever be free again with that monster about. He wanted to sell me to the highest bidder, can you believe it?”
“...Considering he’s let himself be taken over by those core medals and become half-Greeed, I sorta can.” Kiva-La remarked.
Eventually, blade and lance clashed, as OOO summoned the Zanbat Sword into his hands and met Poseidon's lance. Shy’s brilliant amber eyes stared down Poseidon’s own.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Poseidon snarled. “Everyone just wants to look out for themselves!”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong. We just want to live without any regrets!” OOO shouted back in return before he kicked his foe in the stomach before slicing him across the chest with the Zanbat sword, the blade seemingly making a growling sound as the blow struck. It was almost as if it was waiting eagerly in anticipation for the next attack.
Poseidon grabbed his foe by the neck, and threw him into a nearby windmill, wooden splinters flying everywhere before he was headbutted by the future Lord Shy who had rocketed towards him creating a miniature Sonic Rainboom. The wake left behind that was left behind began decorating the skies the color of crimson. Roofs were ripped off the top of houses by the sheer force of the blast.
Metal rang out in the skies above, as the weapons clashed once more, both Poseidon and OOO coming in for a strike before flying away. This pattern repeated, contrails of red and blue left behind as the two met weapons again and again.
“Why… Why do you persist!?!” Tiamat roared out in rage, and Sky Shy let his helmet retract briefly so his foe could see him smile.
“Because… Because if there is a hand reaching for help, and I don't reach out my hand when I can, the regret would make me wish I were dead... I reach out my hand, because I don't want that. That’s what a King should be like, helping others when needed. My ancestor, the original King, the one who went up against Princess Luna failed to understand that. I intend to amend that mistake, and be the King of the Fangires he never could,” Sky Shy explained. “ If I gave up, thinking “I’m weak” and I let regret accumulate I’d never be able to live with myself.”
“Then… Don’t live at all!” Tiamat snarled, before retracting his helmet and then biting down on Sky Shy’s arm making him scream out in pain. “You feel that? That’s my venom running throughout your veins. Never did tell you what type of dragon species I was, did I? I’m a Vipertooth, we have a natural poison. Give it a few years, and you’ll be dead. I don’t know how long it’ll be, but it’ll happen. I wish I’ll be there to see it, I like to see how dramatic those deaths always are.”
“Then, I’ll just have to make sure you never will be able to see it,” Sky Shy replied, forcing the pain down. If he died, so be it. He’d ready his daughter, and perhaps she could be the ruler of the Fangires he never could be. He deployed a set of talon-like attachments on his boots, and then drop-kicked Tiamat with a loud cry of “ Prominence Drop!” shattering his armor and sending the medals Tiamat had used to transform flying out into the desert hopefully never to be found again. As for their user, he crash-landed into a building, knocked unconscious.
“A-Are you alright?” Night Light asked his friend, as Sky Shy canceled his transformation. In the background, Tatsulot flew free of his cage, with Kiva-La nearby.
“Been better, but I’ll be fine,” Sky Shy lied. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Wait, you’re saying just because my father helped your father I’m supposed to believe any of this crap!?!” Twilight shouted, and Fluttershy winced.
“Believe what you want Princess,” Kivat stated. “But right now, Fluttershy’s one of your only hopes of defense against the Fangires, whether you refuse to believe in them or-”
Just then before Kivat could finish, the lights all over the hospital went out one by one, and both Fluttershy and Twilight shared a nervous look before both swallowed as a loud growl came from one of the corridors.
“Oh, Tartarus…” Fluttershy muttered, before she and Kivat shared a look.
“You ready Milady?” he asked, and Fluttershy nodded.
“Time to prove who we are.” she thought.
Author's Note
Okay, another mostly backstory chapter I admit, but I feel some of the stuff explained here was needed, like how Fluttershy first met with Kivat amongst other things. Plus, Twilight at least finally learns the truth about Kiva... As ever, comments and feedback are welcomed.
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Part 6: Soliloquy - Lines in the Sand and Revelations
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Part 7: Soliloquy Part 2: - IXA Rise Up/A Tempest Fury
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Part 8: Clair de Lune - Something Sweeter than Wine...
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Part 9: Final Concerto: Checkmate - Queen's Awakening
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Part 4: When the Saints Go Marching In/Hunt or be Hunted
“Agh, I don’t get it,” one Neon Lights growled out to another of his fellow Fangires, a member of the Apple Clan calling herself Brown Betty. Few years back, they’d been turned by the current Bishop and made to serve in his legions of Fangires all in preparation for the day the King finally returned to the throne. “Why aren’t we just going out and gathering more souls for the Fangire Army? Seriously, we have a whole town out there for us to go snicker-snack on and yet here we are, just sitting around waiting while Rook just goes and runs wild playing his pathetic little games.”
“Easy, we keep up the ruse for a little while longer, gather up enough souls till we have an army not even the Princesses themselves could stop and then, and only then we strike!” Brown Betty lectured. “Granted, Rook’s little games are going to wind up being trouble for us in the long run if someone doesn’t reign him in…”
“Bah, that’s for the Bishop to worry about! Not us!” another Fangire, the Rhino Fangire specifically joined before shifting back into his pony guise, a pegasus named Hoops. Like Brown Betty and Neon Lights, he too had been turned by Bishop. Bishop was an unusual Fangire in most respects. For one thing, in the King or Queen’s absence, he delivered out Fangire judgment, such as killing traitorous Fangires who happened to fall in love with mere mortals. Secondly, he, unlike most Fangires, couldn’t just sap you of your life energy, but actually turn you.
“I’ll tell you what we really need to worry about,” Hoops continued. “Kiva! That’s what we really need to worry about! I mean, think about it, he could easily blow our whole ruse out of the water anytime he desires! If the ponies of Ponyville ever stop fearing him and wanted to listen to whatever he has to say about us then we would be in trouble. Big trouble. The Guard, they’re no slouch. They could easily sniff us out if they wanted to, and devise spells that could detect Fangires on the spot! Especially when Ponyville’s guard is commanded by Tempest Shadow herself, AKA Princess Twilight’s personal bed-buddy! We’d be dead within days! All of us, you hear? Every last single stinkin’ inch!”
“I don’t think we need to worry about that right now,” Neon Lights remarked. “I mean, the ponies are blaming Kiva left and right for every death in this town now. Why, just last night I was talking to a friend of mine, and he was so bloody terrified that Kiva would come to call he was hanging up tons of garlic. Sure, it wouldn’t work as we’re not your average run-of-the-mill vampire breed, but funny as hell to watch all the same.”
“Neon,” Brown Betty spoke up. “May I remind you of something? Your friend Vinyl, the one who’s so in love with her vubs or whatever she calls them, she’s Ponyville’s premier disk jockey and she runs a local radio show to boot! She could easily blow the whistle on us any time she liked, if she ever were to find out about our existence. Strong sense of justice, that’s what she has, and an obligation to tell the truth. She must be silenced if we are ever to progress forwards. If the Bishop is ever to progress forwards.”
Neon swore loudly. Brown Betty was right, Vinyl would be a problem. “Yes, you’re quite right. I’ll deal with her shortly. She’ll never see me coming after all, but there’s something else we need to think about. King, and Queen.” he remarked, taking his signature shades off his face and turning into this massive bear-like creature with razor-sharp claws, mostly white but covered in the Fangire’s signature stained glass features.
“Oh?” Brown Betty asked, turning to look at Neon with a curious look. Hoops was soon to follow.
“Think about it. King, before he passed by the hands of Princess Luna or Kamen Rider Kuuga if you prefer, probably birthed a child. That’s the only possible way a pony could take up the identity of Kiva for this long without dying from the sheer strain the powers would take on the pony body. We’ve got a Dhampyr on our hands, and that means whoever Kiva is, he or she would be next in line for the role of King or Queen. Now, we can’t narrow it down who Kiva is, and obviously, there’s no chance of turning him or her to our side as it’s quite clear where Kiva’s loyalties lie so Kiva must be silenced if we are to survive,” Neon continued, no small trace of fear in his tone. “Think of it, if Kiva were to sit on the throne of the King’s old castle then he’d order us all annihilated. He’d ally himself with the Princesses, and they join forces and hunt us all down! Now, Luna may be smart enough not to break the news that life-sucking monsters namely us are hiding amongst her subjects possibly even amongst her guard but what if Kiva and Luna were to join forces? What then? We MUST stop Kiva in the here and now!” Neon shouted.
Hoops scoffed. “Now that’s a task that’s easier said than done, really,” he deadpanned. “Are you out of it? I mean, look at how many of our brethren have fallen before Kiva’s power already!”
“Rook’s still out there,” Neon pointed out, Brown Betty just sitting herself on a church pew and watching this exchange with no small amount of interest. “He, for all of his love of those sick little games of his, is still incredibly powerful. Seeing as how Kiva has yet to unlock his or her full power as far as we know, there is a chance Rook could easily do away with the problem.”
“As far we know,” Hoops pointed out. “Like you said, as far as we know. Kiva could be already powerful enough to go Emperor on us and we may not even know it. But you’re quite right Neon, we must silence Kiva. That begs the question though, how to do it?”
“I think I might know, actually…” Brown Betty smirked, before changing into a chameleon-like form. “I’ll shadow the next Fangire attack, and when Kiva shows up to stop him or her and if the Fangire manages to drive Kiva off or said Fangire gets killed I’ll shadow Kiva once he or she cancels her transformation. Follow them back to their dwelling place. They’d be exhausted, and that’s when I go in for the kill.”
“You’re being awfully risky here,” Neon remarked, rather disturbed by Brown Betty’s plan. “And to be frank, I want no part of your particular slice of madness. You’d let a Fangire die?”
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. Kiva needs to be dealt with, and soon. Like you yourself pointed out Neon, if Kiva and Luna were to align themselves then we would have a massive problem on our hands. Luna would no doubt gain the courage to finally break to the populace using some trick up her sleeve that the Fangires are alive and well,” Brown Betty pointed out. “It’s hunt or be hunted now.”
Then, with a loud creak, the doors to this long-abandoned church opened and Rook in his pony guise stepped in eating a cone of ice cream. His every step made the old wood beneath his paws creak. All the other Fangires present tensed up at this leonine creature, knowing exactly the power and status he held and how completely insane he was. Hell, none of them would put it past Rook for them to be hunted down in one of his little ‘Time Plays’ if it amused him. If he got bored, he would always find some new type of game to amuse himself somehow, and it was always sicker or more disturbingly twisted than the last in some way somehow both amazingly and frighteningly enough. There was a very good reason no sane Fangire wanted to be even near Rook for any amount of time, lest he turn on them just because it would please him.
Rook for his part, didn’t seem to mind the others in the room being scared out of their wits by him. In fact, he seemed rather amused by all of that.
“So, how goes things?” He asked in a light-hearted tone, chomping down on the cone. “The usual bickering and in-fighting, I presume?” he snarked.
Hoops growled, and shifted back into his Rhino Fangire form before Brown Betty held him back shaking her head. “He’s not worth it, don’t give in to his little jabs.” she told him.
“Actually, we were just devising a plan to hunt down Kiva,” Neon Lights remarked. “King didn’t spend centuries of building up the Fangire race and hunting down Doran to build his castle around him all for his great work to be wiped out in one single stroke by one single damn pony!”
“Well, aren’t you ambitious little life-suckers?” Rook laughed uproariously. “You three idiots, hunt down Kiva? What a laugh! I’d suggest you children step aside, and just do your job of feeding the Fangire race, and let the big boys handle the job of killing Kiva. You, in charge of killing Kiva? Now surely you jest!”
Brown Betty narrowed her eyes. “Oh Rook, give us a break! You've never met anything you didn't instantly target for one of your games, have sex with, or make a boat out of. Then probably killed afterwards.” she deadpanned
“Bigots! I like boats! I'm a damn' Viking! I'm supposed to make boats out of things!” Rook exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. “I mean, that’s pretty much my whole life purpose, rape, and pillage and all that! What else am I supposed to do? Make a family with someone? Settle down and have kids, be a loving Fangire daddy?”
“I don’t know, might be amusing if you ask me,” Neon Lights chuckled. “I’d absolutely love to see what sorta spawn you’d produce. Obviously, you raising them would be a concern considering you’d just raise them to your outdated Viking ideals but it’s still worth a thought. To be quite frank actually, having you produce some sort of offspring would actually be a good idea, given the fact that the spawn of a high-ranking member of the Fangire race is automatically in line to be King or Queen.”
“Can you not act like children? I mean, at least pretend to act your age for once in your lifetime,” Rook growled out. “I’d be a perfectly capable father!”
“Yeah, sure and the Kiva will return to our side any time soon. Eat shit and die,” Neon Lights snapped back.
“Yes, screw you too!” Rook snapped back as Brown Betty rubbed her temples in the background. Children, she was surrounded by children in men’s bodies. No wonder she was only considering having offspring if all the other Fangire males in the world dropped dead along half the females. Along with possibly some of the animals at that.
“Just thinkin’ aloud here,” Hoops remarked raising a finger. “But what if Kiva’s dwelling is surrounded by running water, like a river or say a moat? For all we know, Kiva could have taken Castle Doran for his own!”
“So what? We still siege it, and then kill everyone inside,” Rook remarked with a shrug of his shoulders.
“I've been told vampires couldn't cross running water.” Neon remarked in reply.
“We’re not vampires, we’re Fangires! Learn the bloody difference!” Rook snapped. “Hell, I've been on boats. I've had baths.”
“Since when?” Neon deadpanned.
“When?” Rook blinked, rather confused by all of this. “But that’s beside the point innit? Baths aren't running water though, are they? I mean how can baths be running water? The water stopped being poured when you get in right?”
“Oh for God’s sake…” Brown Betty muttered. “Here we are, arguing about running water, and yet all the while Kiva is hunting us down member by member! ...We’re all gonna die.”
“Probably.” Hoops agreed.
Castle Doran:
Meanwhile, at the ‘Keep of Kiva’ if you will, Jiro found himself talking with a little gold mechanical dragon of all things. Tatsulot, he called himself, apparently an old family retainer like Jiro and his fellow Arms Monsters.
“And we’ve never noticed you in the Castle until now why?” Jiro inquired, looking at the little thing curiously as it fluttered about above his head.
“Amico, non hai capito bene?” (Man, don't you get right to the point?) Tatsulot asked, speaking in Calabrese of all things. “Simply put, I only show myself when I want to. I like the peace and quiet, really.”
“Okay then,” Jiro remarked. “Second question.”
“Fuoco via, lupo!” (Fire away, wolfy!) Tatsulot chimed in, Jiro groaning and feeling a rather sizeable headache coming on. He didn’t even know it was possible for Timberwolves to get such things. “Seriously, I’m like an open book!”
“Right…” Jiro muttered. “An open book I wouldn’t mind throttling…” he grumbled, and Tatsulot winced.
“Man, you really need to chill. All that anger, so not good for you. Seriously, I know this member of the Kivat species,” Tatsulot advised. “Real sweetheart, almost completely white. She could calm a raging Fangire with her voice so I’m told, and I’m willing to bet she could do the same for you, lupo!”
Jiro growled, baring his fangs.
“Sorry, just trying to help here…” Tatsulot sighed, rolling his eyes. “Anyways, your question?”
“Fine, fine…” Jiro grumbled. “Anyways, how in the name of Faust did Lord Shy ever manage to get his hands on you?”
“Tension fortissimo!” Tatsulot exclaimed. “Now that is a question, and quite the tale. But I’m sure a wolf such as yourself has no time for such things.”
“Regale me.” Jiro deadpanned.
“Well, you know how Fluttershy is Half-Fangire right?” Tatsulot asked.
“I’m well aware,” Jiro deadpanned.
“Giusto ... Scusa, domanda stupida! Stupido! Silly me!” (Right… Sorry, stupid question! Stupid! Silly me!) Tatsulot continued. “Thing is, Lord Shy in all his wisdom knew if there ever came a time when Fluttershy had to take up the Kiva mantle, she would one day have to have some form of accessing her full power. Without those chains of hers, the ones scattered about her armor in really gaudy fashion holding her back. So, he searched through a bunch of old books and eventually learned of yours truly. Made a contract, sealed it in blood as you do, and so I’m bound to this castle. Not that I mind, my beloved Kiva-la makes such good company -and so do you for that matter now that I think of it- and I get to watch my Lord’s prized daughter learn and grow.
“So what do you do exactly, when Fluttershy’s ready?” Jiro asked.
“Ah, that would be spoiling now wouldn’t it?” Tatsulot asked, wagging a claw as he got right up in Jiro’s face, with the Timberwolf taking a swipe at the little gold dragon. Thankfully, Tatsulot was much too nimble to ever be caught. “But thing is, before dear Fluttershy ever will get to meet me, she’s got to earn my respect, show that she’s worthy of the power being the future Queen of the Fangires comes with.”
“Q-Queen?” Jiro stammered out, taking a few steps back in surprise.
“What, don’t tell me you didn’t know?” Tatsulot asked, and gauged Jiro’s reaction. “...Wow. You really didn’t. Look, it’s like this. Mrs. Shy, or Posey if you like, Lord Shy never told her but he’s the very direct descendant of the former King. So that means, in effect, Fluttershy is the next Queen of the Fangire race, the last hope of bringing the two races together once more. Bridging that gap between Ponyking and the Fangire race.”
“By Faust…” Jiro whispered.
“Yeah, it’s quite the burden. One I wouldn’t wish on the poor girl, but alas… Jiro, will you help me?”
“Yes, yes I will. I swore an oath to Lord Shy before he passed to protect his daughter. Raise her. And I will not break that oath now no matter who she’s related to.”
Sometime that next night, Vinyl was hard at work composing her next hit record. Or at least trying to anyways. To be honest, she’d been in a slump lately, not sure why. For whatever the reason, she just wasn’t feeling the wubs speak to her like they had in the past.
She absentmindedly fiddled with her latest mix, and then groaned. “...No, this isn’t going to do it. Not, not at all.” she mumbled, sighing and resting her head in her arms.
“Vinyl, are you alright?” Octavia asked, her distinctive upper-class accent ringing out through the home as she entered her roommate’s personal recording studio. Admittedly, at first Octavia was not a fan of Vinyl installing such a thing in their home, but after learning the acoustics were just that perfect not for just Vinyl’s ‘wubs’ but for her own classical styles, she’d soundly changed her mind. Granted, Vinyl got more use out of it than her given Octavia preferred to work with a good-sized orchestra but she admitted it had its charms. “You’ve been stuck in here all day, I’ve just been getting worried, that’s all.”
“...I… I… I suppose it’s nothing really,” Vinyl muttered, though her tone and the fact that she wasn’t even wearing her distinctive shades betrayed her. A glass of whiskey sat beside her, and the mare was severely underdressed. It was like she hadn’t even bothered to care about such things.
“Oh Vinyl,” Octavia sighed rubbing her friend’s shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. “Everyone experiences creator’s block, even me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of really.”
“You say that, but lately, I dunno what it is… Newer artists are scoring more and more hits, and I dunno… just suppose I’m starting to feel… irrelevant I guess you’d call it?”
“By Faust… This really is affecting her,” Octavia thought in shock. “She’s not even using any of her usual lingo, or even wearing her favorite shades for crying out loud! I’ve got to do something, but what?”
She then snapped her fingers as an idea hit her.
“You know something, Vinyl?” Octavia asked as she sat down beside her friend. “What you need, well I think you need some inspiration!”
“But I-”
“Tried everything?” Octavia asked, putting a finger to Vinyl’s lips. “I wouldn’t think so, oh no. Perhaps what you need is another pony in your life. Not just a friend, but a lover.”
“Look Octy, I like you and all, but honestly I don’t really see you in that way.”
“I didn't mean me. You’re an attractive mare, right?” Octavia asked, and Vinyl nodded. She at least liked to think so. “Don’t think I didn’t notice when you dragged me off to one of your shows that quite a few stallions and several mares for that matter were eying you. By Faust, I swear when one of them pretty much asked you to sign their breasts I about…” she trailed off, fighting back an urge to punch something. “But never mind that. Point is, I’m sure it’ll be easy enough for you to find some form of companionship. Everyone needs someone to love, right?”
“I… I guess.”
“Maybe there’s that Neon Lights fellow. You both are fellow lovers of the bass and drum genre right? I’m sure you two can make some good music together, if you catch my drift.”
“...Well, now that you mention it, the guy is an attractive looking stallion and he has been eying me on occasion,” Vinyl mused to herself before smiling. “You know what, I’ll do it!”
“That’s my girl,” Octavia smiled before she frowned. “Though... uh, Vinyl?” she asked, pressing her fingers together nervously.
“Yes?” Vinyl asked.
“...Wear something nice, if you please. I get you wanting to get Neon into bed with you, but I think it best if you not get thrown out of whatever restaurant you book for public indecency.” Octavia deadpanned, and Vinyl blushed.
“Point taken.”
That night, Vinyl found herself in front of one of Ponyville’s most prestigious restaurants, called the Green Gables wearing a silver strapless dress. She groaned to herself, so totally not her style but Octavia had insisted on making her look classy if she was going to ‘woo’ Neon Lights.
Vinyl personally wanted to throw up, she didn’t do pretty or fancy. She wasn’t Octavia. Personally, if anything she highly suspected Neon would have rather had met her in a club. Maybe have a few drinks, then maybe a romp in a bathroom stall somewhere. But no, Octavia in all of her infinite wisdom had decided this was the ideal way to stir up some romance between the two.
Vinyl chuckled as she walked into the restaurant. She loved Octavia, she really did, but that mare did not understand at times that the two were completely different ponies and that the two had completely different sets of tastes. Least she didn’t make her change her mane style, Vinyl had flat out refused when had Octavia tried that, and put her hoof down. Octavia had backed off fairly quickly, realizing it probably wasn’t a good idea to change Vinyl completely.
Vinyl, as she was shown to her table hummed a song under her breath, one of Neon Light’s latest numbers. Shot right up to the top of the charts. More rap than his usual techno style and Vinyl deeply suspected his record company Thrasher-Horn (Responsible for putting bands such as Death to Celestia, and Burning Heart on the map music wise) had something to do with that, but it was infectious she would admit to that.
“ Breeze! Burn up, the heat is on! The soul of the city is in this hero!
“In the cold night, freeze! We’re connected by our fiery hearts, these two pieces! This generation grasps a new wind The nation is born before it all wastes away.
“Keep attacking with a variety of colors! Shut everyone up with your brightness! The Darkness is spreading in this city, so please moon shine a brilliant gold!
“Move it down your finger Finger on the Trigger Set your selfishness free!”
She didn’t quite understand the meaning of the lyrics, but like Octavia liked to say, sometimes true art was incomprehensible. Besides, it was a damn catchy piece to listen and dance to, as Vinyl was now demonstrating to the restaurant as a whole, the fancily dressed ponies staring at her with wide eyes.
“Um, miss?” a pony with a slicked back blue mane and a curly mustache -a waiter, judging by his garb- asked Vinyl, with a tap on her shoulder. “Do you mind madam? Please, I’d like it if you weren’t so much of a disturbance. Me and the rest of the Gable’s patreons.”
“Aw mou… Disrupt my flow will you man?” Vinyl grumbled. “But fine, fine! Rest assured though, I will be filing a complaint with your management!”
“I have no doubt you will,” the waiter said through gritted teeth as he showed Vinyl to her table. “You seat, madam.” he continued, having to practically force the words out of his mouth. Neon Lights, he was already present and had probably attracted quite a bit of attention himself what with his “Death to My Little Corgi!” shirt under his nicely pressed jacket.
“Seems the high life doesn’t suit you either Vinyl does it?” Neon laughed, having ditched his usual rave shades for simpler ones which rested around his neck via chain. Vinyl thought it made him look like some little old lady in some aspects but was polite enough not to mention that. Everyone had their own style, after all. “Granted, can’t say I blame you. These ponies wouldn’t know good music if it danced up to them completely in the nude. All they listen to is that classical crap.”
Vinyl frowned. “Hey, I’ll have you know my sister in all but blood plays that ‘classical crap’ as you so kindly put it.” she stated, with a hint of warning in her tone and Neon got the message and almost immediately backed off.
“Oh right, I’m so sorry. Forgot about that, I guess there’s an exception to every rule,” Neon apologized, although Vinyl was still rather miffed understandably. That was her sister he was talking about, she thought defensively. Her opinion of how this date was going to end was dropping rather low really, and rather quickly at that. “I apologize. By the way, I’ve always been curious. How did a pony like you, and a pony like Octavia actually meet really?”
“To be honest, it’s exactly not that surprising if you think about it,” Vinyl replied. “Band camp, back when we were just about ten or so. They called it Camp Wolfgang, you know after the musician?” she asked, and Neon shrugged not really familiar with most of the great classical musicians which didn’t really surprise Vinyl really. Wasn’t his genre.
“Anyways, believe it or not, I was the shy one of the two of us when we were younger, can you believe that?”
“Not really, no,” Neon remarked. “I mean, you’re the mare who waltzes around every day treating life as some big party half the time, and the other half you are the party. Seriously, you give Pinkie Pie herself a run for her money in sheer outgoingness.”
“Well, it’s the truth,” Vinyl shrugged, eating some of the spaghetti. Had nothing on a little quickly cooked Ramen, but it was nice enough she supposed. “I mean, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise at the camp, most of them thought I was probably mute I suspect!”
“So what changed?” Neon inquired. “I mean, how’d you actually meet Octavia and all that?”
“Well, heard what I admit was pretty bad music at the time being played from a corner of the campgrounds near this lake. There was Octavia, looking exceedingly frustrated trying to play Ave Maria I think it was. Had to do something, as I didn’t really like seeing a fellow musician in dire straits. Believe it or not, parents classically trained me in cello as well so I was suited to help Octavia. Walked right up to her, and helped her then and there, showed her how to play the notes. Pretty much the rest of the camp, we were inseparable. Musical tastes may have drifted, but that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. Even in school, we always tried to get the same seats next to each other and the same classes. Two peas in a pod, y’know?”
“Hmm, that’s kinda awesome,” Neon replied, taking a sip of his wine. “How goes the music?”
Vinyl’s groan and face slamming against the table gave him all the answer he needed. Neon winced. “That bad huh?”
“Yeah, Octy thought putting us together and I mean together together would stir up some inspiration, but you know something? I’m just not feeling that jive, that buzz. You know what I mean dude? We’re just not really… clicking in that way she would want,” Vinyl confessed. “I love her and all, but I think this was sorta a mistake on her part.”
“Yeah… same here,” Neon agreed, asking for the check. “I think we’re better off as friends. Least I can do is walk you home though, right?”
“Yeah, that’d be nice. Catch up a little on old times, really,” Vinyl smiled. “It’s been a while since we last spoke, after all.”
“Sure, sounds fun,” Neon replied. “But seriously, are you sure you don’t see Octavia as something more than just a sister?” he inquired.
“I’m quite sure, really. Trust me, if I wanted to jump in bed with Octavia and give her a night she’d never forget, I think I would have done it a long time ago,” Vinyl laughed as the two walked out of the restaurant. “Seriously, I would have. Plenty of opportunities given we share the same household and all!”
“But what about mares in general? You sure you’re not interested in them?” Neon inquired.
“I suppose it’s possible, there are some pretty hunky stallions -I mean take Big Mac, for example, I mean woof!- but I’ve never shown interest in a lot of them really.” Vinyl replied with a small shrug of her shoulders.
“Here, down this alleyway. Bit of a shortcut, and should keep us away from the main crowds and street traffic,” Neon suggested. Vinyl nodded, tired of getting practically beat up by the bustling crowds on a Saturday night.
“Seriously, thanks Neon. May not be a good choice for a romp in the bed or wherevs but you’re a good friend dude,” Vinyl commented, not noticing the shadow of Neon behind her had changed rather considerably. At least, not until two fangs came out of nowhere, with Vinyl dodging them at the very last second. Vinyl then let out an exclamation of: “What the flying feather!?!” as she took in Neon’s new form. “N-Neon, is t-that you?”
“In a sense. I’m sorry to take you away from your dearly beloved sister so soon, but not to worry, she’ll be reunited with you soon enough.”
Vinyl tried to run, and to her credit, she did get somewhat far before tripping over a piece of wooden plank. Clutching her knee in pain, she fired off a few magical blasts from her horn that Neon caught in his claws, formed into an orb and gobbled up. He burped, and then patted his stomach.
“Hmm, not as good as life energy from a pony but I admit it makes a nice substitute. Really, the fear creeping up your spine? Now that’s what makes a hunt worthwhile I think!” Neon grinned devilishly. “Shame I can’t take you as my bride, but let’s face it, things never would have worked anyhow…”
Suddenly, before he could say anything more Fluttershy came out of nowhere and gave him a flying side kick to the stomach making Neon stagger backwards.
“W-Who the hell do you think you are?”
“The last face you’ll ever see… Fangire,” Fluttershy stated as she helped Vinyl up. Her tone, it was frighteningly cold. “Have you made your peace with Faust? Because you're about to meet Her. Kivat!” she barked. As Kivat fluttered down, Vinyl’s eyes widened as all the pieces began to come together.
“No. way.” She thought before a smirk etched itself across her face. Whatever this thing was, -as it sure as Hell wasn’t Neon, at least not anymore- it was in for it now.
“You sure about this Milady, unveiling yourself in public in front of her?” Kivat asked even as Fluttershy grabbed him out of the air.
“Quite sure.”
“Alright then. CHOMP!” he shouted, before biting down on Fluttershy’s arm, and her veins went all stained glass and her eyes slitted as a very distinctive form of distorted violin cut through the air and a belt wrapped itself around Fluttershy’s waist. Soon, standing in front of Vinyl was the infamous masked killer herself, Kiva. Though killer might not have been the right term, given what Kiva seemed to be doing.
Fluttershy dodged a swing from Neon’s claws, before dodging another swing and catching it in-between her elbow and her knee. She then kicked the Polar Bear Fangire backwards, before Kivat spoke.
“Power against power, only way to beat this guy Milady!” Kivat advised.
“Right!” Fluttershy nodded, holding up a purple-whistle like device and placing it in Kivat’s jaws.
“Dogga Hammer!” Kivat boomed out, as a foghorn-like sound cut through the air, and storm clouds boiled over before chains wrapped themselves around Fluttershy’s arms and chest before purple armor replaced it and a massive hammer appeared in her hands.
“WAKE UP!” Kivat shouted, as Fluttershy swung the hammer over her head gathering electricity before she brought it down. Vinyl only now just noticed this hammer was themed after a giant fist, with an eye opening up on said fist as the Polar Bear Fangire shattered into a million pieces. Panting and sweating, Fluttershy canceled her transformation.
“Come on Vinyl, let’s get you back to my place. It should be safe there,” Fluttershy said.
“B-But what about Octavia? How do you know that thing doesn’t have friends? How do you know she won’t be targeted next?” Vinyl asked in a panic, and Fluttershy gave her a reassuring look.
“Trust me, she’ll be fine,” Fluttershy stated, having already asked Jiro for a pack of his Timberwolves to keep a constant eye on Vinyl and Octavia’s home. Unknownst to them, even as Vinyl nodded weakly, a shadow kept them in her sights. This ‘shadow’ followed them all the way back to Fluttershy’s cottage, where even now the Element of Kindness was bundling up the now shivering Vinyl in a blanket.
Brown Betty smirked, before revealing herself poised to strike before she heard a low growl behind her. She turned, only to see a Timberwolf clad in a leather jacket and wearing sunglasses of all things fangs bared and green eyes narrowed.
“This is for my race…” Jiro growled out venomously before he pounced never even giving the Fangire a chance to scream.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was taking care of Vinyl. Having offered her a cup of tea, she’d begun explaining everything to the poor mare, whose eyes were now fully wide open to what lurked in the dark.
“By Faust…” Vinyl whispered. “All this time, those…. those things were hiding in the shadows, and nobody ever knew?” she asked.
“Probably a damn fine thing nobody ever did,” Kiva remarked, from his roosting place in the rafters. “After all, can you imagine the panic?”
“Y-Yeah, I suppose. B-But why isn’t Princess Luna saying a word to the guard? Why isn’t she telling anyone in their ranks about who’s out and about?” Vinyl asked.
“Think about it,” Fluttershy, taking a sip of her own tea. “I don’t think Luna or anyone even me would be able to trust the guard. We don’t know who’s a member of the Fangire Race and who isn’t really. They could have members, cells even, placed in any of the guards and none of us would be the wiser simply because we have no way of detecting them. No spells, nothing of the kind!”
“It’s… It’s that bad?” Vinyl whispered out in fear.
“Mhmm, sadly it is,” Kivat nodded. “Even when the King was defeated by Lady Luna long ago when she was Kuuga the Second, the Fangire race still found some way to survive. They always do, they’re like cockroaches in that respect. I wish we could foster peace between the two races, but honestly…? That would take the Fangires actually wanting to not want to suck us all dry. Basically, unless the Fangires suddenly change their tune, we’re fighting this battle day and night.”
“Oh, Fluttershy…” Vinyl whispered before bringing the shocked mare in for a hug. “Arigatōgozaimashita. Faust… You shouldn’t have to go through this, any of this and yet…”
“I know. I know, I don’t want to fight but I have to,” Fluttershy sniffled. “I do hold out hope that one day the Fangire race will be willing to foster peace between us, but honestly I can’t see it happening anytime soon.”
“...Yeah, don’t look like it does it?” Vinyl muttered in distaste before stifling a sob. “Goddess, I can’t believe that Neon… For all this time… He was…”
Kivat sighed. “Yeah, the man was a pony just like you or Fluttershy once. Once.”
“You mean that…?” Vinyl whispered, fighting back another sob.
“Yeah,” Kivat growled. “There’s a Bishop alive and well in this time. The only possible way for a pony to turn to a Fangire. That’s the only possible way. Trouble is, finding the Bishop, he doesn’t make public appearances that often.”
“Then we’ll find him, together. And stop him, he’s got to pay for what he did to Neon, and Goddess knows how many other ponies besides,” Vinyl snarled, fists clenched tightly enough to draw blood. “Nobody messes with my friends and family. Nobody. Fluttershy, I don’t know how long you’ve been fighting this battle alone, but that’s going to change from here on in. I’ll help, in whatever way I can.”
“But-’ Kivat and Fluttershy stated.
“No buts. Nobody messes with Ponyville, nobody,” Vinyl stated, her horn crackling with magenta magical energy. She sighed, and then fought back another sob as she remembered what happened to Neon. “Fluttershy? Can you stay with me, just for tonight? I… I can’t…” she whispered, unable to finish the sentence.
Fluttershy, although blushing nodded all the same, and let Vinyl snuggle up against her as Kivat pulled the covers over both of them.
“Poor kids. They shouldn’t be fighting this war, none of us should be. But here we are… Damn you King, damn you to Hell. If you’re still alive somewhere, I hope you’re in such pain from Luna’s battle with you, and so afraid of her you’ll never crawl back into Equestria’s borders ever again.” he growled to himself.
But life had to go on, and even with Vinyl now on her side it didn’t mean Fluttershy’s troubles were over. Far from it, as she found out one day while dealing with the Rhino Fangire.
“Hey, hold it! Kiva, you’re under arrest!” a very familiar voice to Fluttershy’s ears called out, and she looked to see Tempest Shadow standing atop some giant drain pipes in full Guard armor.
“Ah crap, just what we didn’t need right about now…” Kivat muttered, as the Rhino Fangire took this as his cue to leave.
Tempest’s eyes narrowed, and she threw a belt around her waist before bringing out what looked to be a knuckle of some sort and pressing it against her own fist. “Henshin!” she bellowed.
“Fist on.” the belt stated, as an alarm began to blare as Tempest clicked the IXA knuckle into place before a golden hologram was projected in front of her. Very quickly, the armor that the hologram displayed formed around her. It was mostly white, with a golden cross making up the helmet giving a Knight Templar aspect or theme to the whole thing. Then, the golden cross opened up to reveal two red eyes, as a wave of heat blasted itself out from Tempest.
“Kiva, now it ends. Return those lives you stole to Faust.” Tempest stated, drawing a blade and leaping down from off the massive sewage pipes to Kiva’s level. Tempest’s broken horn glowed beneath her helmet, causing Fluttershy to brace herself out of reflex.
“Of all the ponies to become Riders,” Kivat sighed. “It had to be her didn’t it? Why couldn’t it have been that wimp Flash Sentry?” he grumbled.
Tempest charged, her horn sputtering bursts of energy and crackling with lightning her violent emotions at their peak. Fluttershy jumped back when she knew she was within range of Tempest’s explosive burst that was her trademark. However, instead of an explosion, a wild flash of light blanketed the area, turning Fluttershy’s vision white. Before her senses could be returned to her, a sharp pain rang out from her side.
Fluttershy staggered backwards, clutching a bleeding arm, Tempest smirking with her sword in hand.
“So you do bleed. Excellent.” Tempest grinned devilishly under her helmet.
“Since when was she able to do that?” Kivat muttered to himself.
“So, you let your bat do the talking for you? Guess it fits with the whole silent killer thing I suppose,” Tempest remarked, swinging again with Fluttershy leaping back to avoid the strike. “This sword? It’s called Ixa Calibur. Made just for dealing with you, Kiva. May not have access to magic anymore for the most part, but I still figured out ways to fight.” When Tempest went to swing horizontally, Fluttershy dropped low and swept her leg out to knock Tempest off her hooves.
Tempest leaped back, and formed a flaming orb in her palm, before launching a spout of flames at Kiva/Fluttershy, who just barely rolled out of the way to dodge it. Fluttershy then ran towards Tempest, and dealt out a flurry of fast punches to the gut, before rolling out of the way to avoid another blast of flames.
“We need a way to douse those flames,” Kiva whispered, hoping Tempest wouldn’t hear him. Fluttershy nodded, before grabbing some wooden beams, and hurling them at Tempest like lances. “...Then again, why listen to me? I’m just the all-knowing bat here!” he muttered as Tempest sliced the beams apart before Fluttershy grabbed a girder and began using it as a makeshift bo staff.
Fluttershy spun the girder around catching Tempest in the side making her grunt out in pain slightly, and Fluttershy let out a small whimper.
“...What, are you really that afraid of me?” Tempest asked, as she switched her blade into that of a pistol, driving the blade itself downwards into the hilt. She pressed the trigger, and fired out a series of bursts from the weapon.
“No… No, I just wish I didn’t have to fight you!” Fluttershy spoke up, and Tempest’s eyes widened under her helmet. Both from Kiva’s proclamation, and the voice. It sounded familiar in a way, but she couldn’t exactly place where she’d heard it before.
As the two Riders ran through the construction site, Tempest pressed the trigger, again and again, sending out bursts of machine gun fire with some shots nicking Fluttershy in the side and others missing.
“Okay, I’ve had enough of this. Milady, use one of them now! ” Kivat ordered, and Fluttershy nodded, bringing out the Garulu Saber Fuestle. To her surprise, Tempest brought out a similar device even as she placed the Fuestle into Kivat’s jaws.
“Garulu Saber!” Kivat barked, and the moon turned blue as a sharp howl cut through the air. Jiro, now in Saber form rocketed towards Fluttershy’s hands, blade extending with Fluttershy’s armor reformatting itself for the appropriate power limitations. That’s what the chains on her armor were for, to hold back her true power. She wasn’t ready for it, at least not yet. She had to prove herself worthy.
Then, Tempest slammed the fake or knock-off Fuestle into her belt, and it made a mechanical sound that sounded very distinctly like: “Garulu Saber.”
The saber shot out of Fluttershy’s hand as her eyes widened, her armor reshaping itself back into her base form. Before she could fully process things, the sword landed snugly into Tempest’s waiting hand.
“What you can do, I can do better. Courtesy of Twilight Sparkle.” Tempest stated smugly as she twirled the blade in her hands getting a feel for it, and resting Ixa Calibur on her belt.
“No, Twilight wouldn’t…” Fluttershy thought to herself.
“Calm down,” Kivat mentally told her. “Twilight doesn’t know any better, and neither does Tempest. From their perspectives, you do look like a killer remember?”
“I know, it’s just that…” Fluttershy told him.
“You don’t want to fight your friend? I understand, and I’m truly sorry for this. Both for you having to fight Tempest, and having Jiro’s powers used against you.” Kivat told her softly.
With the threat of her other weapons being stolen as well, Fluttershy would have to get creative. She rushed forward, Tempest quickly getting into a stance to meet her challenge. When she was a few feet away, she jumped up, beat her now bat-like wings to further increase her speed and let loose a bicycle kick towards Tempest’s head.
Tempest’s eyes widened at just how brutal Kiva was willing to get, and at the very last moment as time seemed to slow down she dodged out of the way, and let Kiva smash a massive pipe in half.
“Oh, that might’ve been too much,” Fluttershy thought, examining the broken pipe. “I just want to knock her out, not…” She couldn’t let herself finish the thought, pivoting on her hoof to return her attention to the fight at hand..
“Okay, you’re good. I’ll give you that much,” Tempest remarked. “You’ve got guts,” she stated, even while firing off more bursts of flame from her palm that Fluttershy rolled out of the way to dodge. “You’ve got quite a bit of nerve fighting me even after I’ve stolen your prized… Garulu Saber you and your bat friend called it? Anyways, even after I kill you I’ll make sure to give you some sort of memorial for lasting this long.” she remarked, jumping skywards, and flipping behind Fluttershy and landing on her hooves sword still in hand.
Fluttershy and Tempest traded blows, metal ringing out throughout the construction site as Fluttershy either caught or dodged the blows, and whenever she did catch one she managed to land one of her own. Most of the time. At one point, she tried to knock the Garulu Saber out of Tempest’s grasp with a powerful kick, only for Tempest to grab her by the hoof, and twist her arm in such a way that Fluttershy was sent spinning onto the dirt below.
Fluttershy managed to jump back to her hooves just in time, as if she didn’t Tempest would have scored a direct strike to the heart. But even back on her hooves, Tempest was still a very clear threat to Fluttershy, as shown when several powerful slashes from the Garulu Saber landed.
Fluttershy decided to press her mobility advantage, flaring her wings and jumping backwards into the air. Tilting her wings, she shot forward and stomped a hoof onto Tempest’s head before darting out of reach of her stolen saber.
“What was that supposed to achieve?” Tempest laughed, before her eyes widened under her helmet as she realized IXA Calibur was conveniently missing.
“Damn you!” Tempest roared in rage.
“One good turn deserves another, I say. Don’t you?” Kivat snarked, and as Tempest swung wide in anger, he flipped off his perch on Fluttershy’s belt and bit down on the sword while Fluttershy shut her eyes for she didn’t want to see what was coming next. Whispering a quick apology to both Tempest and Twilight she then pulled the trigger, firing the IXA Calibur at its former owner making Tempest stagger.
A brief sword fight was to ensue next, both Riders using their stolen weapons against the other.
“She’s really good,” Fluttershy thought, her chest heaving from her labored breathing.
“Course she is,” Kivat remarked. “Didn’t you mention to me once this was the mare that held Canterlot hostage and then chased after you and your friends all just to get to Twilight?”
“Kivat, we might have to figure out a way to escape. I’m going all out just to keep up. Waking up could hurt her too much.”
“Might have to,” Fluttershy thought, even as Tempest swung again and again, the clashing blades ringing out in the night as sparks flew as metal met metal. “First things first, we’re getting Jiro back!”
“Agreed. How do you propose we do it?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got an idea.” Fluttershy replied.
“Always ready to follow your lead, Milady!” Kivat smiled.
Tempest swung, and Fluttershy actually caught the blade in her palms. Now normally, this would shave fur from skin, and skin from skin but thanks to the armor this wasn’t happening anytime soon. In Tempest’s shock, she was caught off guard long enough to be kicked in the chest and then knocked into the dirt via a leg sweep. The blade clattered to the ground, with Fluttershy tossing IXA Calibur aside. Taking a dive, Fluttershy grabbed at the saber, pulling it close to her chest.
“Welcome home, Jiro,” she whispered, sniffling softly under her helmet.
“Can’t… Can’t believe she’s made it this far against me…” Tempest whispered, chest heaving in exhaustion. Fluttershy then took a running jump off a wooden plank high into the sky, with Tempest following after her eyes alight with rage. Both aimed flying side kicks at each other’s chest.
“WAKE UP!” Both belts shouted in unison, as Fuestles were placed into belts. Fluttershy’s hoof slammed into Tempest’s helmet, and Tempest’s slammed into Fluttershy’s chest.
Both were sent tumbling backwards, and Fluttershy picked herself up off the ground breathing hard and clutching her chest in pain. Tempest was in an even worse state. Her armor was blasting off spouts of steam, and she was just barely able to stand. Tempest’s eyes widened, thinking back to Twilight’s warning.
“However, I should feel free to warn you, while the IXA system has been refined over the years with various abilities being added or removed as time went on, there’s one problem that the Blue Sky Organization has always worried persisting as time went on. Namely, the toll this takes on the pony body. The first few users of IXA, back in its original state did wind up in the hospital from what they told me. Tempest, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to…”
“I’m such a fool…” Tempest thought as her transformation canceled itself and she fell towards the ground. Fluttershy let out a scream of fear, and canceled her own transformation and ran towards Tempest.
“Is… Is she okay?”
“I dunno kid,” Kivat murmured. “It doesn’t look good. We need to get her to a hospital, stat!”
Fluttershy nodded, before picking up Tempest, hoisting her over her shoulders, and taking to the sky.
Author's Note
Okay, first off huge thanks to Thunderclap for helping me with Kiva VS IXA. Knew it had to be the centerpiece of this chapter, and I knew I had to pull out all the stops. Or rather, we did. Originally, this piece was planned to be the fight music, but at the last minute Finger on the Trigger got used in it's place. Not sure why, guess I just liked it more for some reason.
Now, the Fangire scene at the beginning. Wasn't planned, especially not the Castlevania jokes but I thought it seemed interesting enough. Humanized the Fangires some more, and added to the lore of the world.
As ever, your feedback is welcomed.
