The Soul Reaver

I should start by saying this.

Of all of the things that have happened in my life, starting a rebellion in a mass populated city with the population as the slaves to drive off a wraith and his amnesia looking lackey? Not exactly on my list of things I would do. Then again, when you're an undead fuck-mothering wraith, you should expect to say things you'd never think you would say.

Currently, myself and Steam were heading towards the steampunk castle, ready for whatever may pop up and try to eat our faces. We made it to the underbelly of the castle, and saw that there was a giant trench that went deep underground. We both inspected, and to our shock, there was a gigantic amount of Ponies. All of them were working on pipes or digging into the walls to expand even further.

If this keeps up... Shit, this could become a cancer if we don't stop this...

It'll do more than that Dean.

Death?

Yes, it is I. I can not do much to this wraith as he hasn't broke any of his oaths, thus he uses loopholes instead.

Shit... well that explains how he's getting away with this rather than getting fucked. Okay, I think I have an idea on how to go about this...

Oh? And what would that be?

You'll see~!

I turned towards steam and said, "Alright, I have an idea. Follow me." She nods and falls in behind me.

Time to be a badguy...

(Steam Castle gates)

Well, here I stand in front of a giant castle that may as well be a cancer. I hope Steam pulls through with the plan...

"OI!!! I HEARD THE HEAD HONCHO HERE WANTED TO SEE ME!!!" I shouted up to the gates, trying to grab anyones attention.

With a loud hiss of steam, the gates slowly opened. Behind them, a single man stood with three guards.

Now, let me tell you, this guy looked like the biggest prick I've ever seen. He wore a white fur coat over a fancy white dress shirt and black vest with matching pants and shoes. He even wore a top-hat and steampunk goggles with a damn walking cane!

"Ah! Mr.Marcelo, so nice to finally meet you! I've heard a lot about you." He stuck out his hand got me to shake, and I'll admit I thought about cutting off the damn thing. However, I put on my best fake smile and grasped his hand and shook it.

"Good things I hope." I joke, making him chuckled.

"Oh yes, plenty of good things, some bad as well. It's quite the pleasure to meet a fellow businessman." He says as he gestures me to follow him. I felt a growl nearly escape my mouth, and swallowed it down. I follow him, and he begins to explain the whole grand scheme of his castle.

"You see Mr.Marcelo, I am a business man with a vision, just as you are. You use to run a wonderful criminal empire. Everyone respected you, feared you, and loved you. I wish to take a page from your books, so to speak, and make an everlasting mark on this world." I damn near ripped this fuckers lips off, "I have... taken the position of leader for this city, and driven it to success and great advancements through the power of steam. Though I did have to... convince, the other citizens that what I am doing is right." He explains as we walk through the halls. Even as we walk, I can hear the scratching of swords on metal. That... thing, is following us.

"Ah! Where are my manners. I am David, no surname to speak of, at least not one you need to know." He said with that smile still on his face. I laughed, trying to keep up appearance.

"Not that I would remember it anyway!" I exclaim in humor, he laughs as well, and we stop in front of a balcony. We could see the entire city from here.

"Tell me Dean, how do you see greed?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Sometimes greed isn't a bad thing. It just depends on what it is you really want that determines whether or not it's bad." I said in reply as I adjusted my hat.

"Hmhm, how true. Tell me, is it greed to want to give the world your ingenious invention, no matter the cost?" He gestures down, and as I saw before, millions of ponies were slaving away, building pipes and digging into the dirt walls, making more and more room for the expansion of the castle.

To say that I felt a hatred for this man was an understatement. I wanted him dead. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands, and scatter his remains throughout this abomination of a castle.

"And you know? Some of the slaves were even born to work. And the first words they ever spoken?" I felt my rage boil, "Was this. 'Lord Davi-'" I didn't even let him finish the sentence. I kicked him in the face, sending him flying through the room behind us.

"Steam. Do it." I said, and thankfully, the communication device that she had given me worked, as she affirmed my command, and the riot began.

Lets get this party started!

Shouts of pent up anger came from the pits below, and it couldn't sound more satisfying. David got up, and anger was visible in his, but he still smiled. Probably had his face frozen.

"So, you actually planned this all out? All right then. HEMLOOOOOOCK!!" He roared, and the eldritch sonofabitch came from nowhere and tackled me off of the balcony. As I fell down into the pits, I felt myself grin. I got under the fuckers skin, and now I'm about to do a lot more than that. I began flipping in the air, looking amazing as I descended. I pulled out my wraith blade hilt, activating it as I neared the ground, and landed with a shockwave that created small crater. I looked around, and saw different guardsponies and other abominations getting ready to attack the rebelling slaves.

Not on my watch. I slashed one guard that got too close, and basically cleaved the fucker in half, and charged into the fray as many forms of unicorn magic was used to drive back the guards. I looked around, trying to find steam, and to my surprise, she was actually kicking ass! She would buck whatever guard go too close to her, and it would send them reeling! I couldn't help but smirk as the riot was going amazingly well! After what seemed like half an hour, I saw one final wave of guards. I gathered power into my blade, and launched a wave of ice, "Arctic Dagger!"

The wave cut into most of them rather easily, but the abominations kept coming. I quickly rushed over and severed one of their heads and snapped the neck of the other, but another one got a lucky hit in and made me skid across the ground a few inches. I countered with a kick to the head, and managed to snap the neck as the deformed pony fell to the floor limp.

I looked at most of the ponies that got in on the riot, and let out a roar of triumph. They joined me, but over the crowd, I heard a slow round of applause. I turn, and spot David and his fugly lackey standing there, David with his smile still on his face.

"Excellent show Dean. Now, perhaps you would be willing to give up, since you know these ponies hardly stand a chance against one of us. And you can't fight the both of us at once." He tried to reason, but I wouldn't listen.

If I gave up now, what would be the point to all of this?

I rushed forward, surprising the both of them, and gave my most powerful kick to Hemlock's head, knocking him out due to catching him off guard. I turn to David and flourish my sword as I stare him down.

"I'm sorry, you were saying something about me being outnumbered?" I say with a grin. For once, he actually frowned. Slightly, anyway.

"Very well. It seems I will have to teach you not to cross me." He said as he prepared his cane.

"Try me you shitty business man."

(Dean V. David)

The Wheel of Fate is turning...

Rebel 1, ACTION!

(Dean V. David)

"Steam Impact!" He rushed at me as his hands morphed into pipes that blasted gusts of steam as he unleashed a flurry of punches on me. I managed to block a few of them, but the other blows singed me as the steam burned my skin. Gritting my teeth, I placed a foot under his chin and launched him into the air.

"Infernal Rapture!" I jumped after him and grabbed his leg and threw him into a wall, knocking the wind out of him. I used the water particals in the air and launched myself at him with a gust of icy wind. I stabbed my blade into his chest, but he brought his hand up and blasted a gust of scalding steam into my face.

"ARGH!" I exclaim in pain as I try to cool my face down with some ice. He then jabbed his cane into my ribs rapidly. I think I heard a crack... Probably broke one of them. With a snarl. I grab his cane and punch him in the face. Before he could get up, I grab his leg again and began to slam him against the floor. After the second slam, I threw him into the air and created a bow made of ice, "Arrows of Ice!" three stalagmites of ice launched from the bow and struck David in the chest, freezing him. As he landed, he melted the ice and pointed the tip of his cane at me.

"Steam Bullet!" a barrage of clouds of steam launched from his cane, making me attempt to dodge them. I was hit by plenty of them, they somehow pierced through me as I felt my wounds cauterize from the heat.

"Trust me Mr.Marcelo, we are in my domain. You cannot win, so simply give up." He taunted as I struggeld with my wounds.

"Hell no." I say as I finally get up, I felt a large amount of power build up, making me smirk. I felt it rise up and chanted familiar words, "Releasing restriction number 1! Restriction 1, released!" The power bursted from me with blue fire, giving me a handy power-up. I rushed towards David and caught him by surprise by kicking him into the air and jumped up after him.

I slashed wildly at him in mid-air then finished it with an axe kick. As I fell after him, I encased my legs in ice, hoping my idea doesn't backfire on me, "Glacier Drop!" With the added weight of the layers of ice, my fall on top of David released soem blood from his wounds. I jumped away from him, knowing he's not done. He gets up, still smiling.

"So, you have more bite in you than I thought. Very well then." a silver light gathered around him, "Restriction level 1, released." the power bursted off of him, and he teleported in front of me and jammed the tip of his cain into my rib cage again, except this time, it dug in between the ribs and stroke my lungs. I fell backwards and choked on air. However, before I could hit the ground, I was blasted into the air by a large gust of steam, "Steam Wall." As I rose, I saw a guard run to David and... morph into something with a pipe. Dafuk?

"Drone Bomb." The guard launched at me with Steam trailing from his ass, when he struck me though... FUCK ME THAT BURNS! I slammed into the ground with blood pouring from my wounds.

"Dean!" I saw Steam run to me and kneel next me, "Are you okay?"

"Get everyone out of here! That eldritch abomination of his is down and I'm dealing with the shitty businessman, so get the ponies out of here!" I command her. She looks hesitant, but nods as she began to shout for everyone to follow her. I get up despite the pain I'm in and glare at David.

"What's wrong Marcelo? No witty banter?" He taunts as he stands there, waiting for me to make the next move.

"I get the feeling you're too stupid to understand basic speech, so I'll save my breath." I roll my eyes, and could see anger flash in his eyes.

"Words like that can get you killed Marcelo." He says as he gathers steam in his cain. I scoffed.

"You have any idea how many people said that when I was alive? What makes you any different?" I say as I gather into my blade.

"I'll be the first to succeed, Steam Bullet!" A barrage of Steam erupted from his cain. I slashed my sword down, launching a wave of Ice.

"Arctic Dagger!" The wave hit most of the bullets, disappitating them before they could hit me. I stabbed the floor, covering twenty feet around me in ice, "Arctic Dungeon!" I encased David in ice and rushed at him, but he bursted from the block of ice and tried to jab me with his cain, but I blocked it in time. We were in a deadlock as we both fought for control.

"Why do you seem to hate me so much Marcelo? We are the same and you know it. We both covet our greed!" He exclaims  as he pushes me away and punches me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I trip him and spun around and kicked him in the chest as he fell, sending skidding across the floor.

"Like hell we are! I may be greedy, but even I have a limit to what I would do to those that I robbed from!" I shouted as I brought my sword down, "Arctic Dagger!" The wave washed over him and created more cuts on him. He got up and removed his hat.

"Steam Locomotion." What? In his hat, I saw a tiny light from it, and then a tiny train bursted from it. I stared at it for few moments, but then it did something that nearly broke my mind.

It grew into a lifesize train... and it was rushing at me.

OH FUCK IT'S RUSHING AT ME! I jumped out of the way just in time to have it rush past me and crash into a wall, making tons of pipes fall around us, "Dammit, Are you trying to bring the whole place down around our ears!?!" I exclaim as I dodge a falling pipe. He smiled as he struck the ground with his cane, and right from under him, a thin pillar erupted from behind him.

"It may crush you Marcelo," twin propellers popped out of the pillar and began to spin. Oh he isn't... "But you will die alone here. I have other facilities to run." With that, a large platform popped from the ground, with a claw hanging from the bottom. He flew over to Hemlock and grabbed the mutated pony before he was crushed by a pipe.

"LIKE HELL YOU'RE GETTING AWAY!" I exclaim as I run after him. Nothing like making an attempt at parkour! I jumped high into the air, and landed on a pipe attached to a wall. Okay, so far so good... I jumped off of this one and landed onto the next one. Alright, I think I'm getting the rhythm of this. I then jumped to the next one on the other side, and began to jump from pipe to pipe like a damn ninja.

"AWWW YEAH!!!" I exclaim as I was just behind Davin. He looks back and was surprised to see me after him.

"You don't give up, do you?" He exclaims as he pressed a button and moved to the back of his vehicle and shot a blast of steam at me. I jumped away, and created a bow of ice and shot a spike of ice. He blasted a steam bullet at it, melting it completely.

That was when we began to shoot rapidly at each other, trading projectile for projectile as we continued upwards. I jumped at him and slashed at his head, but he deflected it with his cane. I landed on the flying platform and we began deflecting each others strikes. He lashed out a kick, but I moved to the side and punched him in the face. he reeled slightly, but jabbed his cane into my ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I quickly recovered and slashed his chest, creating a large gash. He stumbled back, but blasted a gust of steam, knocking me off of the platform. I maneuvered myself in the air and landed on a pipe.

He managed to speed away far enough that I wouldn't be able to catch up to him even if I tried. Well, He said that he had other facilities... I guess I know what I'm doing now. Lets review what I've done today!

I've met Lucifer, stopped a rouge wraith by myself, even though he got away, and I started a rebellion and saved an entire city from indentured servitude.

I need another vacation from this vacation...

(On top of a building)

Two figures could be seen on top of a building, overlooking the pits. The shortest one whistled as he looked over the fight Dean had finished, "Wow, so that was the guy who got my staff back. Not bad, it certainly brings back some memories." The short figure was a he, as was suggested by accented voice.

The tallest figure nodded, "Yes. I can even sense the good in his heart, and much... grief. I wonder why?" This figure was female, as the voice gave her away

The male shrugged, "Who knows? Not going to pry. Let's head back, we'll meet him later. Let's go explore the city." he began to walk away

"Very well, lead the way Alex." The female said as she followed her companion.

"Don't I always Lorne?" With that, the two disappeared.

(Outside Manehatten)

David was nursing his wounds, cursing to himself for underestimating Dean to such a degree, until he heard a carrage behind him. He turned around, and found Zachary and Mot standing there.

"You shouldn't have underestimated him so much." Zachary said, sounding rather bored.

"I know that." David growled, "But you did not exactly give me much information on him besides that he was coming here. Now look at the consequences! I've lost one of my bigger facilities, and I have to reinforce the other ones!" He exclaimed as he looked over Hemlock, "As for this one here, I should have reinforced his body more. To be knocked out with one hit is not normal." He said as he looked over Hemlocks unconscious body.

"Perhaps. But remember David, Dean is what stands in our way between us and a new order. We can not afford to screw things up." Mot replied as he stepped forward, "And to think that the lord of hell assisted Dean not once, but twice... Just how much weight does he pull? What has he done to garner so much attention?" He asked.

"Nex possibly knows, but he's still cooling off at the moment, so that's not a solution." Zachary said as he jumped off of the carriage, "Besides, I doubt he would tell us, given how close he is to Dean."

"He's very protective of his companions, that much is certain." David added as he finished patching up Hemlock, "I've never seen a man so dedicated."

"Perhaps we can use that to our advantage?" Zachary grinned.

"Yes... Maybe we can..." Mot's grin was disturbing.

Just what were they planning?