But It Was Really Cool While They Were Doin' It
The heroes were torn from their world into the next, and scattered. The days passed.
Bound deep in prayer, a fair maiden reached out to them through spell.
“Arise now, ye Tarnished. Seek the guarded remnants of the Ring, and find the sealed Erdtree to return home. Carry my blessing and thrive.”
Resting by firelight, the Girl gazed into the sunset. She missed her worlds. Hands cast in flame, she stood.
The Alicorn broke into, and broke in a derelict library. Thousands of tomes filled her grasp, yet the difference in the world’s magic drew her attention even more. She would learn so much.
For the Unicorn, the way back home was already secure. She dialed her new dimensional mirror in locally. This world was uneven, unfair. She would reset the scales.
The Shadow snorted. Her princess needed her. Go time.
The connections cut and the heroes were alone.
-=DEATH=-
The Fell Ogre’s swipe connected with the Girl’s side, and she crumbled.
“Put these foolish ambitions to rest.”
He struck. Her vision faded to a bright gold.
She woke, alive again in the light of the Graced Fire, and left a first mark on the wall.
Soon after, she stepped back into the Fell Ogre’s domain. He charged her, and it was on.
--
A crash of heavy blows blew through her guard.
“Put these foolish ambitions to rest.”
She saw gold, and made a fourth mark.
--
Seconds after a dive, a patient pause brought his massive club down on her.
“I command you, put these foolish ambitions to rest!” Gold. The seventh mark.
--
Two quick daggers pinned her thoroughly against a wall. This time, the Ogre approached slowly.
“You have tapped into it, haven’t you? My world’s broken cycle of life and death.” He settled. “You will lose spirit, as they all do. Especially stuck for as long as I decide.” He glared. “Submit to Destined Death.”
She met his sneer. “I can do this forever. My friends are counting on me more than I could ever count on myself.” He snorted, and turned. “And my past,” she roared, overloading herself with fire, “has never decided today!”
She burned up, freed. Mark twelve. It would be the last.
--
A fireball intercepted two thrown daggers. The Girl struck when the Ogre expected a weave, weaved when he expected a block, blocked cheap quick strikes.
Finally, he leapt tremendously into the sky. A golden great hammer materialized in his grasp.
“PERISH! Put these foolish ambitions to REST!”
The Girl stomped forward and leapt. The uppercut connected.
Her foe fell. Hard.
The Phoenix landed, and reached for the remnant of the ring.
It resonated. She learned she was not alone.
-=FAMINE=-
The Alicorn’s blast of force snuffed out the flames thrown her way; a stomp of her hooves brought up earth to ground shot of lightning; a storm of cold froze over the last-ditch blood whipped at her, and the wind knocked her foe down.
The Blood Lord stared on in rage. His every strength starved away; every weakness exploited. His foe shone, gloriously incandescent in the silhouette of the pale blue moon.
She offered her hoof. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The Lord sneered.
“Très.”
The Pigs’ Latin? Three.
A ring of blood, more warped than before circled around the Alicorn. This time, the cold did nothing to help.
“Duo.”
Two. A countdown.
Her mind raced. A second ring formed around her.
“Ūnus”, she interrupted. The Lord’s eyes widened in surprise for the last time.
The curse was reversed. The rings flipped to the caster, and a third joined them. They collapsed inwards, as did the Lord.
The Perfectionist didn’t sigh. Fine. Real friends more than added up to a hundred percent score.
She offered her hoof to the remnant of the ring.
It resonated. She learned she was not alone.
-=WAR=-
The Unicorn was addressed by the blind Blade, body dressed in golden prosthetic.
"I have never known defeat."
The Unicorn duplicated herself. And themselves. Again, and again.
"Then you have already lost."
The swordstress paused, spreading her senses. A torrent of spell fire erupted from every direction, and she moved. She slashed and slashed across the room, focusing on the feeling of life around her until – there. The one stepping just before the others. She feinted, aimed, and struck.
The copies faded away. The sword had pierced the Unicorn’s shoulder.
The Blade smirked, then pulled on her blade arm. It was stuck.
“Heh. Oops.” Tricky green fire poured from the wound, a dark chitin securing the blade. “Gotcha.”
The Blade quickly relinquished her arm - she raised the other in guard to the Unicorn’s already charging horn. It unleashed. The blow came teleported in from behind, and she fell.
The Jury smiled, and reached for the remnants of the ring.
-=CONQUEST=-
Lightning crackled. The Arbiter of Sin exploded.
“Move.”
The remaining exiles fled, and the Shadow gathered her remnants.
--
Sunset and Twilight crested a hill simultaneously, and smiled. Soon after, Starlight joined.
They were found by the Shadow. She kept her amicable distance.
Starlight and Twilight shared a cunning smile. They teleported into a group hug, and Fizzlepop got to Be.
--
The mirror was enough to enter the world tree, and confront its God. It towered above them; translucent skin contained the cosmos, flirting with the eldritch. But they were ready.
Blows exchanged hands, hooves, and abominable limbs.
The pace changed when the God leapt into the stars, and brought them back down with them.
Those who could teleport, did. The two warriors moved more on instinct than thought.
The Phoenix caught a star against her own fire. But as the two forces waned, the God struck with an all-encompassing wrath.
Everything burned away. And yet, there stood everything, and more.
A crimson claw sank deep into the God's arm. "Do you know who I am?"
The heroes unleashed frost, pure mana, and thunder.
Rivulets of fire ran up and through the God's body
-=I'M THE GOD DAMN HERO=-
Author's Note
My gratitude to RubyDuby and Dusk for moral support. For that, We thank you.
