When Desire Becomes An Obsession
You will know you're reborn tonight
Must be ragged, but I stay by your side
Even if my body's bleached to the bones
I don't want to go through that ever again
So cry no more~
Traveling in the warm glow of a golden afternoon, a small, pink pony with her eyes closed sang as soothing as the tide's breeze. Her mane was white that faded into shades of pink and yellow down to the tips, a light blue bow pinned to the left side of her mane. As she finished humming the song that could enchant any caught in the area, her eyelids fluttered, revealing a set of big, bright blue eyes. She let out a soft sigh, watching seagulls fly toward the honeycomb horizon, the beach not far.
She could smell the salt of the sea, feel everything tingle down to her tail upon catching the slosh of waves against the sand. It made a refined melody not many really understood, but she did. Water made sounds that she could listen to for hours, soothe her fears, bring her joy, warmth, comfort. The young mare didn't know where she was going, nothing made her anxious, she simply wanted to see all, by hoof or otherwise.
Then her snout crinkled in disgust, something acrid and horrible turning the clean air foul. Sniffing around for the source, she noticed it not far from her spot along the dirt road, beyond a few hills and trees, black smoke. A fire? It was very black... and there were lots of them. She knew a lot about fires, and this wasn't a minor issue, something made her fur crawl, it was hanging in the air, a faint whiff of. Her eyes widened; That scent was a Wyvern's.
Growling, her eyes scanned the skies, this scent was vaguely familiar, she was very young but she remembered this scent well, it was what kept many like her alive. Wyverns and monsters had various scents, some she didn't know, some she had the unfortunate fate of meeting, this one scared her, the scent of a fire wyvern.
Then she saw it just skimming the horizon she trotted toward.
*ROOOAR!*
The flying wyvern rose high into the sky, bipedal with a spiny, armored hide covering its body. The outer shell is bright red, with black markings throughout. The talons were black; In addition, its long, thick tail features a heavy spiked club at the end. the wing membranes featuring ornate patterns. The King of the Skies, Rathalos.
Sucking in a long-winded breath, the young mare galloped faster up and over the hills, innocent ponies were endangered, that nice creature, and the beautiful bat mare with him, they fought to save her, they healed her, comforted her. Lifting her head high, Mira let her eyes become slit with a predator's instinct once more. She would not let their charity in helping a monster be wasted!
The small seaside village of Lily was a blip on Equestria's maps, it was a quiet and peaceful town, or it was until the great red beast swooped in from the clouds, breathing hellfire upon its citizens without restraint nor remorse. With a descending roar, Rathalos slammed its talons into the tallest building, a clocktower, observing the pandemonium as flames dripped from its maw, wings fanned wide with a triumphant cry. It saw its prey scatter and attempt to quell its flames, it would pick them clean soon, very soon.
Flapping sharply, it lowered itself down in the open square, spitting another fireball into a nearby building, brick and timber sent flying across the sky ahead of it. Ponies scream in terror, some using minor spells to ward off the flames and evacuate to the safety of... anywhere. Rathalos would raze the town entirely soon, not a weapon nor spell could stand in its way.
Across to the opposite end of Lily, Mira leapt over a burning log, puffing her cheeks to spray a sharp beam of water into a nearby house, using her tongue to expand the water to spray the front of the house, inside, a family of three ran. The stallion saw her as she spat out a small dribble of water. "Th-thank you, thank you so much!" Mira smiled awkwardly, pointing her hoof to the way she had previously cleared, the fires snuffed out with her light drizzle, direct contact with her water beams could cause the flames to rise so she had to be careful.
Continuing her sweep, she spun the corner and quickly shot a short beam to shatter a falling chunk of a building as the mares below screamed, seeing the debris fall behind them, Mira trotted by, stomping on the lingering embers quickly, returning to her efforts. It wasn't much, and much of the town would burn but Mira had to find the wyvern, otherwise, nothing would remain.
Sniffing the air, she brought her hooves to a screeching halt, slapping her flank against a wall to evade the gust of wind that blew a wave of hot embers past her face. Once clear, she ran to the next street, following the scent until - there! She paused, seeing a number of armored ponies trying to help move ponies to safety, one was attempting to clear the way with wet fabrics.
"Stand back, we need everypony to keep together and stay far away from the burning buildings!" One ordered, not spotting Mira until her mane flew by his face. "Hey, wait!"
She stepped closer to the small line of flames, not bothered by the heat as she sucked in the moisture from her water sac, spitting a brief line of liquid onto the embers, snuffing out the burnt log with a huff. "Go," She murmured, turning around to follow Rathalos's scent. While passing, one guard pulled her tail back with a stern look. Mira believed he was both upset and worried, a strange combination.
"Miss, we cannot allow you to go that way, not while this beast circles us!" He reprimanded her, Mira only blinked, then snorted a frown. She didn't like being treated like she was helpless - she was useful in a fight, sorta.
"It will burn everything," She argued, pulling her tail from his hoof sharply. "I can stop it."
"Are you crazy!?" One yelled as Mira squeezed through the crowd, or until the same guard was standing in front of her with a glare.
"Risking your life won't change things!"
"...I can..." Mira worded breathlessly, stomping her hoof angrily. "I can!"
"No, you can't!" He warned.
"I-" Pausing, she saw flames passing by a shadow that swept over their heads. Pushing the armored pony away, Mira brought her tail around in time to bat the flaming sphere away from the terrified crowd. Gone was her normal, fluffy tail, a pony-sized, scaly tail with a membrane taking its place. Looking down at the star-struck guard, she huffed again. "I. Can."
Galloping away and down the next street, zipping by houses and stalls Mira dipped right, trotting up some wooden stairs that led to a balcony. Once up she dipped to avoid the spined tail as it took a sizable chunk from the roof, showering her in dust and bits of wood in passing. Shaking the debris off her head, she leapt to the stone banister and up onto the adjacent rooftop, sliding across the slope until she found her footing, watching the crimson wings slice through the smoke.
The building overlooked the square and the clocktower, she saw only fire and brimstone, the scents of ash and... burnt hair and skin. She felt saddened by this, it only forced her to remember that thing she saw in the temple, rotting, lifeless and... and... Squeezing her eyes shut, Mira blocked out the noise, the smells, all she wanted to do was go back to the sea, the rivers, and lakes. This town... it wouldn't know of that if she didn't stop Rathalos. Many would die if she didn't try something.
Snapping her eyes wide, her slit pupils felt smoke and embers blind them momentarily, a large pair of red wings dispelling them in favor of the large wyvern that hovered before her, eyes beady and angular as its black-tipped snout snorted sharply, gums pulled back to snarl and display its impressive jaws. Rathalos stared the little pony down with hunger and death in its eyes.
"Go. Away." Mira growled herself, scraping the roof with her hoof, feeling her body beginning to change with a sharp release of vapor from her fur, fangs bore. "Now!"
"A little pony?" Its voice was deep and full of malice and contempt. "Hahaha, you're in no shape to fight!" I leered down on her form. "It's over, everything will be razed, you'll make a good start for a meal."
Mira only took a few steps back, tail slapping off the building. "I. Said. LEAVE!" She howled, lunging the 'King' who was taken by complete shock, seeing the vapor expand greatly, and for a large head to slam into its throat, tossing the wyvern backward while a pair of jaws released a deafening roar.
This monster had a long, slender body. However, it is one of the few of its kind to have fur on its body. This dark purple fur covers its chest, underbelly, legs, and tail. Its scales are light-colored and resemble those of a fish. Its head has a long snout and is beautifully adorned by many fin-like appendages. The fins are pink with yellow markings, and they can also be seen on its back and tail.
The two large monsters broke away, flames swept by Rathalos's powerful wings, roaring down on the leviathan. Mizutsune released its own, higher-pitched wail, bubbles secreted under its belly, eyes narrowed up at the monster.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note
I'm back! And with a Monster vs. Monster battle that totally isn't setting anything up later, hehe. Mira's back and is ready to throw down with my most hated wyvern in the series! Seriously, I wish for the heat-death of the universe upon Rathalos and its species, especially Azure Rathalos! Except for Rathian, she's alright.
I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next chapter Hunters!
Next Chapter: Bewitching Dancer vs. King of the Skies
In her monster form, Mira faces down Rathalos to save the town of Lily from certain destruction. Can she prevail?
Bewitching Dancer vs. King of the Skies
Within the Old World, it rained heavily one day within the Primal Forest...
Great roars of beasts thundered in the skies and across the land. A turf war between monsters of both worlds. There were splashes and hellish waves of fire. Heat danced with the cold, yet, the small frame of a young Mizutsune coward in hiding not far away. It was told to hide until the roars stopped, and under no circumstances was it allowed to leave otherwise. It was harrowing, listening to the battle, hearing claws rend scale and flesh, the pain in the voices of the attacker and defender.
When those screams finally stopped, Mira sniffed the air, copper filled her snout, so did ash. Lacking her mature growths like other Mizutsune, as well as properly formed pores under her fur for her body to secrete its soapy substance meant she was forced to move naturally with her claws. Inspecting the forest clearing she found nothing but a grey downpour, no red monster that descended from the sky, waiting to pick her off. Its scent was gone, only lingering traces from blood and chipped scales.
Mira felt her eyes land on the other monster, one that made her pace quicken, slithering through the small ponds to reach the large creature curled in the mud. It didn't flinch once Mira made it to its side. Her mother wasn't moving. Mira made a high-pitch nicker with her throat, snaking up to find its mother's face, many deep cuts, and open wounds dotted her scales, burns singed some of her silky furs. What started to worry Mira was the fact she wasn't just still, her eyes were closed, not even a breath was left.
With a gentle nudge of her snout, Mira attempted to wake her, pressing her snout a few times before using her claws to shove her mother's face; Still nothing. Looking up at one of her low-hanging feelers, she knew it annoyed her when Mira chewed on them so she tried that, biting it gently to tug left, then right, then back until her grip slipped and she flopped to the mud.
By now, Mira felt her panic settle in, shoving her mother's head sharply, using her tail, anything to wake her up. Nothing, she... wasn't there anymore. Whining in the downpour, Mira whimpered, scooting up beside her mother until the storm passed, curling up tightly into a ball by her mother's fur, feeling no warmth, closing her eyes to sleep beside her mother one more time in the rain.
Fire rushed by Mira's cheek, imploding within a building as it collapsed onto the road behind her. Releasing a howl, she spat several bubbles into the air, forcing the Rathalos to swivel around the clocktower, reeling back to spit another fireblast in her direction. Mira sucked in a great volume of water, releasing a pressurized stream of water that caused the fireball to erupt in the sky, particles scattered like fallen fireflies. Rathalos swept down with its talons, swiping at her face, knocking the adolescent Mizutsune down.
"You protect them, you will die!" Rathalos screamed, sinking its claws into her back to lift her up off the ground as she flailed, trying to spit her bubbles in his face. One popped, sticking to his left eye, causing the wyvern to drop its prey as it slithered from its stomp, flapping back to fire a wave of embers across the courtyard, nicking Mira's tail.
She spun around, releasing three small bursts of water, the first Rathalos evaded, though his wings were caught by the next pair, making it falter. Before Rathalos had a second to realize it, Mira leapt into the air, spitting a large bubble to blind it once again, latching her claws into its shoulders as she and the winged beast spun haphazardly above the town, its flames singeing her fur slightly while she curled her body around to bite down on its nape, slashing at the membrane of the left-wing while rubbing bubbles into its scales.
"Begone, rat!" It roared, spinning backward to fling her form through the side of a house, rubble collapsing atop her stomach while Rathalos landed only to slip and stumble due to the suds clung to its scales. "Grah!" It howled, fire spat between its teeth while it stumbled toward Mira, herself shoving the debris of her form, though her scales were banged up with light cuts across her torso. "A hatchling, a mere hatchling is toying with me!?"
Grimacing, Mira quickly wiggled away from another fireball, though her eyes soon met the spined tail as its crushing weight slammed into her face, effectively slapping her into the side of a few buildings. On instinct, she released a pressured water beam, dragging it up and around to strike Rathalos in the chest, knocking the wyvern away, the soap dripping off its form, a large, bloodied gash across its chest to the right shoulder.
Her head felt like it was throbbing, wishing she could do what Zen could, he was really strong. "He beat that mean monster, I... can do that too!" She had to, if she didn't, then her mother dying would've been for nothing. She hated Rathalos's, they were territorial and frightening, just the sight of one made her scales crawl, this one reminded her so much of the one that took her mother away.
Mira was young, too young to really do a lot of what her mother could. She rolled around in the water, enjoying how she made tiny little bubbles though they weren't like her mother's. Looking ahead where her mother sat, overlooking the forest, Mira watched with wonder as she moved in a circle, bubbles formed under her from her fur, the size of the bubbles enlarging until she used a mere flick of her tail to send several large orbs flying across the plains.
Three of them caught what appeared to be small animals, unable to break free from the soapy cage. Not far, Mira swore she saw a strange, bipedal creature watching them with these weird, long eyes it could remove from its face. It was always so strange seeing them, they really liked to watch Mira but then if mother caught them she would tell Mira to hide until she handled them. Mira felt bad for some who were pulled away by others after being trapped in bubbles. It was funny.
Mira stopped and pivoted her movements, evading Rathalos's talons as it perched itself atop a roof, roaring down at her form while spitting more fire into the town. Slitting her eyes, Mira curled up her form, quickly beginning to spin in a circle, seeing bubbles and mounds of suds form under her belly. The more she created, the larger some became. "Wait..." She sucked in a breath, seeing Rathalos land and charge toward her, wings wide and maw burning like the town. "Wait..." He was only eight meters away when she stopped spinning, tail muscles taut, "Now!"
Releasing a howl of her own, Mira swept her tail wide, discarding the bubbles in a wide arc, startling Rathalos as it attempted to fly away, unfortunately, its wings and chest were pulled into the large bubbles. They didn't cage him but they caused it to flail and roar, one encasing its head as it tried to spit flames, the gas expanding the bubble but nothing more. The tail swung wide, scratching Mira's chest as she slipped backward with a challenging snarl. "I am not a rat!" She looked nothing like a rat.
Playing at the ground under her claws, Mira planted her tail, curling her neck back to releasing a rising stroke of water that sliced the cobblestone and tore across Rathalos's breast and neck with the force of a blade. It screeched, stumbling backward, or until Mira gasped, the thick tail bashed across her face once Rathalos turned on its heel. The sudden trauma knocked her down, feeling a warm liquid dribble down her snout.
"I am... an apex of my species!" Rathalos huffed, turning with blazing fury in its sockets, ignoring the blood dripping from its wounds in favor of slaying the leviathan that struggled to hoist itself upright, planting its right leg against her side, pinning her while displaying the tender, vital neck. "I am a fire that scorches the skies! You are no apex!"
Jaws unhinged, Rathalos was ready to snap and rip her throat out while Mira could only try and stare back, somewhat dazed by the blow still. She... was going to die.
*DING. DING. DING*
Rathalos paused, craning its neck to the source of the sharp noise in its ears. It was coming from the clocktower, the bell at the top ringing through the roar of flames. A small frame quickly leapt from the tower, scampering behind the spire. Narrowing its gaze, Rathalos threshed and spat a fireball in the general direction of the creature, taking out a large portion of the tower's structure, destabilizing it.
"I... know that scent," Mira's glossy eyes refocused, finding her second wind, slamming the weight of her tail into Rathalos's hip, "RAAAAAAAAA!!" She howled in his face, chomping down on its rough neck, sinking her bottom teeth into its softer tissue while her legs forced her body to move, dragging Rathalos toward the tower as he thrashed in her jaws, wings battering her sides but was unable to fly away, the membrane of the wings torn through the middle.
"Let go of me!!" Well, if he insisted. Mira huffed, releasing a burst of water from her jaws to propel the flying wyvern into the side of the clocktower, the force causing the spire to twist and break from its supports while Rathalos stood tall, wings wide with hellfire in its jaws. "Graaaa-!"
*BOOSH!*
Mira flinched from the dust sent flying from the force of the tower collapsing atop Rathalos's head, breaking its neck as the lower half of its body remained above the rubble, snout expelling one last breath of embers. Sniffing the area once more, she approached the still form of the wyvern, nudging its face. It didn't react, nor could she hear a breath. It was gone.
Sighing, exasperated, Mira turned her attention to the rising smoke across town. She was exhausted and aching all over, but she swore to help the town, so she'll do just that. Puffing her cheeks, she used her tongue to spray the sky with a fountain of water, dousing the courtyard in rainfall, the small flames beginning to hiss and dwindle around her.
From behind the clocktower, a pony watched as the monster finished spraying the area, perking up toward the sea not far from the courtyard, quickly snaking away.
By the time Mira made several dozen trips to and from the sea, the town's residents were jubilated, many singing their praises to whatever slew the fire dragon and quelled the flames across Lily. No sign of the pinkish-white monster could be found, say for the markings her body made through town and toward the ocean. Many ponies believed it to have returned to the depths, a guardian of the seas.
Sat on the dock facing the sea, Mira happily munched on what the ponies called a 'sandwich', it was strange and smelled like grass but it was really tasty so she didn't complain. It was nice being by the sea, not to mention she was still tapped out from her fight, bandages wrapped around her injuries that other guards assumed were from trying to escape. "Not wrong, but not right."
There was a lot that needed to be repaired and rebuilt but lives were spared of suffering as Mira had, losing family was difficult, and it can hurt for a great length of time. Mira closed her eyes briefly, "I beat one for you, mother."
"Well, if it isn't the troublemaker," She opened her eyes, turning to the familiar voice. Standing before her without his armor was that guard that tried to stop her, and the one that ultimately weakened the tower by baiting Rathalos's attack. He was brave. The earth pony looked no older than she was, ash white and with a tussled, warm black mane and tail. His eyes were a contrast to Mira's, ocean peering into forest green. "You know, you really deserved those injuries - well, some anyway."
She pouted, "I nearly died," That made him stumble, waving a hoof.
"Every day is a test of survival, congrats, you got the extra-difficult version," Her brow knitted at his chuckle. "You make some weird faces for a monster." That made her choke on her sandwich.
"..." She said nothing, lying wasn't something she understood all that well.
His own brow quirked. "Yeah, ya see not often you meet a pony that can change their tail like that, and not many can turn into a giant, bubble spitting monster - cool moves by the by, and that water jet of yours, wow, gonna take a couple days to fix that road." Praising her abilities wasn't what she anticipated. Many wyverns had appeared around Equestria, Mira knew that nice bat pony, Yui, and the wolf, Zen, handled them. But she's been anxious about showing her true form for fear others might see her as a threat.
Sensing her anxiety, he quickly clopped his hooves. "Relax, my lips are sealed - you did save these folks so... well, better than me." He huffed, but what did he mean by that? "Ahem, right, I should um... see I'm not... technically a... guard." He worded very slowly for her.
Then again, he wore clothing that made him look like one of those mean ponies called bandits. Black coat with a high collar, a belt lined with pouches, and even a few hidden weapons. He reminded Mira of those guys that bothered her mother with larger weapons, they were quickly sent flying. "You lied." She stated bluntly.
He flinched, scratching his nape. "Y-yeah, maybe..." Her eyes narrowed, seeing him sweat. "Okay-okay, I did, guilty 'till otherwise - hey, you're no better short-stack, turning into some water serpent thing-"
"Mizutsune."
"Gazunteight."
At his dumb reply, she spat a small stream of water in his face, causing him to recoil sharply with a girly yelp. That alone made her giggle a little behind her hoof. "My species, it's Mizutsune, I am Mira."
"Ah, ahem, well, pleasure to make your acquaintance," He stuck his hoof out, making her pause, looking at his hoof speculatively. "You good? I won't bite."
Slowly, she shook his hoof. It was an odd custom but she got the hang of it over time. Then she sniffed the air, turning toward the docks. "Are they 'acquaintances'?"
"Huh?" He turned, then froze slightly, smiling warily at the approaching guards sweeping the area. "U-um, well, remember how I'm technically not a guard?" She nodded quickly. "Right... theeeey... are who I 'acquired' my armor from, heh."
"Over there!" "The dirty thief!"
The 'Thief' quickly threw his hoof wide. "Oi, a professional has standards!" That didn't help his case, looking up at Mira with a nervous smile, giving a curt nod. "Time's up, 'till we cross paths short-stack." A red tick appeared at the remark about her height. With that he dived onto a nearby boat, using it to escape to the opposite end of the docks, the guards swiveling around to give chase, forgetting about the young mare who watched the dark-colored pony leave her sight, his scent still tickling her nose sweetly.
"Dirty thief..."
Despite the gentle atmosphere accompanying her day, Mira felt something turn in her stomach, a long-forgotten instinct that made her fur stand on end. It was faint, barely a whisper, but the ground... it was singing.
End
Author's Note
I won't lie that first part really freakin' killed me, God I love and hate scenes like that. My sad state aside, this was real fun to write, monster vs. monster, plus we get to see what Mira's up to nowadays. So lets see, Zen and Yui, I made one for Topaz and the new girl Ren, now Mira. Huh, I wonder what exactly I'm plotting... hehehe.
I hope you enjoyed - I am never writing about this asshole of a Flying Wyvern again! - appreciate the support as always, seeya next time Hunters!
