Dimensional Chronicles

Dimensional Chronicles Part two The Journey/Confrontation
Day Two:

Twilight was woken up by spike jumping on her bed with a scroll in his hand. The scroll had the royal seal on the ribbon.
“Well that was fast.” She opened the letter.

My faithful student Twilight Sparkle;
Your new friend does sound a tad unsettling. I believe you are right in your caution, but we always did say that hubris would be the death of us both. I would like you to bring him in for an audience, but on the way here I would like you to get as much information out of him as possible, to understand what makes him so violent; report this information to me upon your arrival. Your friend and teacher Celestia.
P.S. Be careful with him, try not to be near all your friends around him.
P.S.S. I did a little digging and found out who this lyre pony is; she is an agent of my sister named Lyra, recorded as the most powerful of her disciples. She seems to have fallen a bit out of favor by getting married and allowing less of her time to be dedicated to her work. This means nothing more than she is apparently no longer the go to mare

Twilight rolled the letter back up and placed it on her bedside dresser.
“Well spike,” she said, “we’re going to Canterlot.” She got up, fixed her hair and ran to Pinkies’ house as that was the closest of her friends’ houses. Later, Twilight would admit what she did next was a terrible idea.
“Hey Twilight,” Pinkie said enthusiastically. “How’s Yachi’?”
“Yachiru is fine, but I’m going to need your help.” Twilight responded, “we’ve been summoned to Canterlot, but Kenpachi is too big for a chariot so we have to go on foot. I want our friends to help run security.”

“Okie dokie loki,” Pinkie said quickly. “I’ll get Rarity and Fluttershy, you can get Applejack and Rainbow Dash.”
“We’ll meet back here, and there’s one more pony I would like to have help, Lyra.”
“You mean Bon-Bon’s wife?” Pinkie narrowed her eyes.
“I guess. I didn’t know who she was married to.” Twilight shrugged.
“Good luck with that," Pinkie waved her off, "Bon-Bon is very protective. You don’t even wanna know what she did to that Parasprite that ate her and Lyra’s pie.” She shuddered slightly. "Scary stuff girl..."

Twilight stared at her for a second.
“Okay... I’ll manage, remember to ask Fluttershy to wait outside a window.”
“Got it. But why ask Fluttershy to wait outside.”
“Safety reasons.” Twilight half lied, she didn't want someone telling Kenpachi she was taking precautions.

“Okay,” they ran to get the others.

Twilight ran to get Rainbow Dash first.
“Rainbow Dash!” She yelled.
“What, what!” Dash yelled, rousing herself from a nap.
“I need your help, I’ll explain at Sugarcube Corners, just wait outside a window.”

“Fine, but this had better be good.” Rainbow Dash flew towards the building, Twilight turned and started towards Sweet Apple Acers.

It was easy to tell where Kenpachi had been, as there was a line of trees that were significantly taller than the others around them and there was a patch that seemed to still be growing. Twilight made a beeline for them. Sure enough Applejack and Kenpachi were on opposite sides of the rows of trees, knocking apples down into baskets. Applejack reared up on her front legs and kicked the trees while Kenpachi slammed them with his sheathed sword. He had somehow managed to get his robes back and his hair up in spikes.

“Applejack, Kenpachi.” Twilight called.
“Yes Twi’?” Applejack said.
“Hey bookworm.” Kenpachi stuck the gauze wrapped sword back onto his belt.
“We’re having a meeting at Sugarcube Corners, and how did you get your stuff back? I would have thought Rarity would have had those under lock and key.”
“She did, so I broke the safe.” Kenpachi snarled.
“You what?” Twilight gaped.

“Yesiry he was up even earlier n’ me gettin’ ‘is hair back up, spent ‘bout an hour tryin’ ta get the bell on the top spike; finally had ta ask Yachiru fer help.” Applejack chuckled.
“I took my sword to that suit Rarity made me afterwards.” Kenpachi grinned fiercely.
“An’ anypony who can stand up to Rarity like that has my full support.” She pounded Kenpachi in the back with a hoof and Kenpachi ruffled her mane with his hand. “An’ he’s more fun n’ Big Mac.”

“Okay, you two should get going.” Twilight changed the subject.

“Okay sugar” Applejack said running towards Sugarcube Corners. Well those two have certainly gotten chummy. Twilight thought to herself.

It took some asking around but Twilight found out where Lyra lived. She knocked on the door; Bon-Bon opened it smiling.
“Hello librarian, what brings you here?” She asked cheerfully.
“Hello Mrs. I’m here to ask Lyra for assistance.” Twilight bowed slightly in greeting, Bon-Bons’ smile dropped like a ton of bricks.
“Luna sent you didn’t she?” She spoke venomously.

“No ma’am I was referenced to her for a bodyguard.” Twilight gave a nervous smile, hoping not to provoke Bon-Bon further. She took in a deep breath, looking like she was about to give Twilight a rather nasty telling off when someone else spoke first.
“Bon-Bon,” a voice rang out from inside, “who’s at the door?”
“Just the Librarian.” She said back, contempt clear in her voice.
“Why hasn’t she been let in? She’s not on the list.”
“But she’s on the list of possible contacts.” Bon-Bon said desperately.

“Exactly,” Bon-Bon slumped and stepped aside, defeated. She glared daggers at Twilight as she stepped inside. “I wasn’t aware that Luna gave out the names of her agents.” Lyra said; she was sitting in an arm chair, her back legs draped over the front. It was a position Twilight found slightly unsettling. She was also holding a lyre, strumming it with a hoof, as soon as the music reached them Bon-Bon visibly relaxed. “There, there,” Lyra said to Bon-Bon. “I’ll be fine.”
“She doesn’t give them out.” Twilight said.
“Then who recommended me?”
“Celestia, well inadvertently, she said you were the strongest of Luna’s agents on record. I have a job for you; I’m escorting a new person to Canterlot-”
“Zaraki Kenpachi," Lyra interrupted, "and you want me to act as a deterrent.”
“Exactly; but how do you know Kenpachi?”
“I have my sources,” Lyra said mischievously. She stopped playing, “I’ll get packed.” Bon-Bon had gone ridged again.

“I swear” she said through gritted teeth. “If Lyra doesn’t come back I will hunt you down and gut you with a spoon, a rusty one.” Bon-Bon turned up her nose at Twilight and walked to another room. Lyra walked down the stairs wearing one saddlebag; her Lyre could be seen poking out of it a little.
“Sorry about her, she’s had to save me more times than I care to think about. She really means well, she just worries about me.”

“Understandable,” Twilight said, “anyway let’s get going.” They walked out to Sugarcube Corners.

“Welcome back Twilight, hey Lyra.” Pinkie jumped out to meet them. “All ready to go.”
“Okay Pinkie, we’ll be going in a minute.” They walked inside. Kenpachi took up a good quarter of the lobby, Applejack was standing between him and Rarity, who was glaring at him like she wanted to kill him and make an outfit out of his skin. Kenpachi met her gaze with a look that said ‘try it’, his hand was creeping towards his sword.
“Kenpachi!” Twilight yelled at him, “rule two.” Kenpachi’s smile fell and he took his hand away from his sword.
“What’s this about bookworm?” He asked.

“You, Kenpachi, have been summoned to the palace for an audience with Celestia.” Twilight responded. “We are your security and guides.”
“Security? I don’t need security.” He cocked an eyebrow.
“True, but you do need guides and we need security. That is why I’ve enlisted the help of Lyra here. Is everypony besides Rarity ready?”

“Why am I not included?” Rarity complained.
“Because we all know your not ready.” Applejack snickered.
“But this time I am, every time Twilight calls one of these meetings we go somewhere. So this time I packed in advance.” She patted a pair of saddlebags on the ground next to her.
“Okay, is everypony else ready?” Twilight asked.
“Yes.” The unanimous cry rang out.

“Kenny,” Yachiru said, climbing over his shoulder. “Can I ride a pony like spike does?”
“Ask them, not me.” Yachiru jumped down from Kenpachis’ back.
“Pinkie,” she said endearingly, “can I ride you?”
“Okie doki Yachi’.” Pinkie responded happily.
“Yay.” Yachiru hopped onto Pinkies’ back.

“Lets get going," Twilight called everyone into line. "This trip should take until sundown. When we step outside of town everypony take your positions. I’m at point, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, you’re the forward scouts, you are to report back to me if you encounter any large hindrance. Rarity, you take up rear guard. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, you two are side guards. Lyra, Kenpachi, you’re with me, lets go.” Twilight had designed this formation to provide maximum warning time, therefore reaction time, to threats but it also had the added effect of keeping at least the rear guard out of power range at all times. This should work. Twilight thought to herself.

They walked to the outskirts of town together then fell into formation and Twilight decided to initiate part two of her orders.
“Say, Kenpachi?” She asked.
“What?” He yawned.
“Where did you come from?”
“Soul Society.” He grunted.
“What’s that place like?” Twilight asked, Kenpachi grinned.

“It’s dangerous, filled with strong guys these monsters called Hollows, traitors and battles; oh the battles just thinking about them makes me want to beat the hell out a' something.” He almost sounded like he was purring towards the end.
“That bad?” Twilight shuddered.
“That much fun, more like it." Kenpachi snapped at her. "Of course there are those who try to spoil my fun, like Soi Fon, she’s even more of a killjoy than you are. Then there are the bastards I don’t respect enough to have fun fighting. But I won’t go into them.”

“Why do you like fighting so much?” Suprisingly enough, Fluttershy had asked. Prompting a thoughtful stare from Kenpachi, who just kept staring for a moment.
“What’s not to like?" He threw up his hands. "It’s fun, life and death, the thrill of it, pushing yourself farther than you’ve ever gone before and that chance that you really might die." He laughed. "I’m the captain of the Eleventh squad, the strongest squad, my third seat Ikkaku and I spar all the time. Sometimes I spar with Yachiru, but the last time I did that we were on probation for a month. Can you imagine, me unable to fight for an entire month; it sucked.”

“What kind of power does she have?” Twilight asked, Kenpachi looked over at her mischievously.
“That would be, a secret.” He laughed, “anyway, there is really only one active captain that I really dislike. Korutsuchi, he’s a scientist, but he always takes some of the best opponents to be his test subjects, always getting in the way. Then, if they survive the tests, they’re always too traumatized to fight; real asshole.”
“Oh my.” Fluttershy squeaked.
“And you know the worst part? He doesn’t even have to do it himself, he uses poisons to paralyze his opponents and just drags them off to experiment on them, the bastard.”

“This 'Soul Society' sounds horrible.” Twilight gagged.
“It’s not that bad aside from Korutsuchi, it’s actually lots of fun.” Kenpachi scratched his chin.
“But what about the monsters, the Hollows?” Fluttershy muttered.
“They’re usually just nuisances that go around eating weak people, but every now and then a strong one like Nnoitora shows up and things get fun.” He grinned fiercely.
“And lots of people die.” Yachiru piped up happily.

“How horrible.” Twilight gasped.
“You keep using that word, I don’t think it means what you think it does.” Kenpachi said, smiling. “To die in battle against a powerful Hollow is the greatest honor for one of the Eleventh squad.”
“The blood always gets everywhere.” Yachiru said ecstatically.
“How old are you anyway Yachiru?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow.
“Five, I think." Twilight almost tripped, then Yachiru finished her thought, and she did. "Wait, I’m nine, yep that’s it.”
“What!?” Twilight yelled, shocked by this development. “You’re no older than Applebloom, what in Celestia’s name happened to you?”

“I lived in the 79th northern Rukon district," Yachiru chirped. "There were people killing each other everywhere, but then Kenpachi came and taught me to fight and I didn’t have to worry anymore.” Twilight was effectively horrified, Kenpachi and Yachiru came from a place where it was necessary to teach small children to fight and kill. That was enough information for now.

“Hey Lyra.” Twilight shifted the focus of the conversation.
“Yes?”
“You've been quiet," Twilight said, a bit more quickly than intended. "What’s your story? You said Bon-Bon had to save you, from what?”
“Myself.” Lyra shrugged.
“Huh?” Pinkie cocked her head.

“I spent some time in the Soul Society while dimension hopping for Luna," Lyra started. "She was testing a new type of magic and needed someone she knew would survive. As the most powerful of her followers, I was naturally the first choice. I ended up there and was almost immediately recruited by the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and placed in squad Twelve. I was given a Zanpakto, which I attached to my lyre, I actually learned her name when I did, Ochestura.”
“Wait, her?” Twilight interrupted “It’s a sword not a pony.”

“Every Zanpakto has a soul of its own," Lyra explained. "It is like your child, a new being branched off from your own soul, the sword is just the container, it changes shape and power when you call its name. Anyway, after three weeks I continued my dimension hopping, but it seemed that I was not compatible with the next dimension. I was ‘evicted’ after two days, I was happy to be going home, but something happened to Ochestura. Being torn so..." Lyra hesitated, "violently, through the between-space seemed to have an effect on her.

"She refused to speak to me or lend me her power for a while after that." She continued, "I figured it was her issue with authority and she, with Luna being a princess and my employer, was angry at me. So I decided to leave Luna’s employment and protection for a while, this included my house in Canterlot. Until I had a nasty encounter with a hydra during my travels. I admittedly hadn't eaten properly or slept through the night for a bit. My supplies had run out earlier than expected and I was in the Everfree Forest. I ran instead of fought until we reached the outskirts of the forest. Bon-Bon was there and I knew there was no way an ordinary pony could outrun the hydra. I was just barely keeping ahead of it myself. Something ‘else’ took over at this point and I don’t remember anything else from that night. I know I killed the Hydra or else I wouldn’t be standing here right now, but not much else.

"I woke up in her house, my lyre was on a dresser next to the bed. I didn’t think I could stay, so I got up, grabbed my lyre and tried to leave. Bon-Bon wouldn't let me, she seemed to instinctively know that I was alone and wandering. She took me in, became my best friend. She stayed by me, even though over the next few months I had extensive inner battles with the Other.” The words flowed like she had been wanting to tell this story for a long time. “She would always be there to make sure the Other didn’t destroy anything. If it looked like the Other was going to win she would talk to me, reassuring me. No matter what the Other did to her, no matter how badly she was hurt she stood by me. Always making sure I resurfaced.

"The second to last time it happened," she choked up a little. "The Other had broken her, she was close to death. I rushed her to the hospital, they actually had to call in several dozen unicorns to help with the healing spell. I never left her side that day.” Kenpachi rolled his eyes, Yachiru stuck out her tongue and made gagging noises until a glare from Twilight silenced her. “Once she woke up, I told that I would be leaving before the Other took over again. She once again refused to let me go, but this time I asked why. She told me that she once had a friend with a similar problem and she hadn’t been able to help. She told me that she took me in to make up for that. Of course the Other saw this moment as an opportunity to take over I crushed it and have not heard from it since.” Lyra ended her story, it was almost sundown.
“Wow” Twilight said “no wonder she’s so protective of you.”

“Twilight!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash yelled, charging back from scouting.
“We’ve got trouble.” Applejack said, panting.
“Big trouble.” Rainbow Dash added.
“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, just then there was a massive roar, strong enough to make the ground shake.
“That!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
“What could be that big?” Twilight thought aloud.
“An Ursa Major” Applejack said, panicky.

“Then why can’t I see it?” Twilight looked up at the sky, trying to remember her research. “The Ursa Majors’ favorite hunting time is,” she wracked her brain. “Dusk, its coat is the same color as the sky. Everypony look for its eyes, they’re the only thing that will show against the sky. How did you find it anyway?”
“Rainbow ran inta’ its haunches” Applejack chuckled anxiously.
“Ahh!” Pinkie Pie screamed, everyone whipped around to Pinkie. There were two massive eyes each about as big as a tree and fangs as long as the Ursa Minor had been tall, seemingly hanging in the sky above her. A massive paw came into view as it descended below the tree line.

“Pinkie, Yachiru!” Twilight yelled, there was a flash of black and white and the sound of steel grinding on steel. But Twilight hardly noticed, she was in shock. She kept running one thing through her mind. This formation would have been foolproof against anything but an Ursa Major, why did it have to be an Ursa Major? This creature was beyond anything she had even dared take into consideration. Pinkie Pie and Yachiru were going to die and she doubted even Lyra could do anything about it.

“Arwoo!” A howl of pain pierced her stupor. Kenpachi had cut off its fingers, the severed digits fell around Pinkie and Yachiru in a shower of blood. Lyra reached them a few seconds afterwards, shaking them from their fear induced paralysis. Kenpachi was angrily staring down the wounded beast.
“How dare you?” he yelled at it “How dare you? Only cowards go for children first.” It was like Twilight was seeing Kenpachi for the first time. He wasn’t just some brute, he was like a father for Yachiru and just as protective, willing to kill even those he didn’t deem as worth his time if they so much as tried to touch her. The Ursa turned to run, but Kenpachi grabbed its tail, pulling it back to him and onto its back with one hand. “Die bastard!”

He brought his sword down on its neck, somehow cutting its entire head off with a sword about the as long as one of its fingers was wide. Blood splattered everywhere as a virtual river of the stuff spewed from the stump where its head had been. Fluttershy and Rarity fainted strait away, Applejack and Rainbow Dash just stood there, jaws slack. Twilight couldn't get a handle on what she had just seen, so she decided to take her usual semi-calm demeanor, Lyra was standing completely unfazed and Pinkie Pie and Yachiru were beaming up at the thing that just saved their lives.

“A-an Ursa.” Rainbow Dash stuttered. “Not even a giant star bear can touch him, what is he?”
“The Kenpachi,” Yachiru said, “the strongest Soul Reaper.” Kenpachi climbed over the Ursas’ body.
“Hey, is that where we’re going?” He pointed at something past the body.
“We can’t see Kenny.” Applejack responded.
“Oh yeah, stand back.” Everypony who was conscious took a step back, those who weren’t were dragged. “This patch comes in handy at times like this.” He took the patch off and the power surged, vaporizing the creatures’ body, Rarity and Fluttershy’s unconscious bodies were sent flying, along with Rainbow dash, whose’ wings caught the wind generated by the surge. Applejack had to grab a nearby tree to avoid joining the three who had been flung a considerable distance, strangely Pinkie Pie was not effected as severely and only seemed to brace herself. Twilight felt like she had been bucked in the ribs and Spike was hanging onto her mane for dear life. Twilight glanced at Lyra, she showed no sign that anything was even happening aside from her mane whipping in the wind. Twilight looked back towards the direction Kenpachi had been pointing at, there was Canterlot, sparkling with lights. Kenpachi put the patch back on.

“That’s it.” Twilight tried to say this with enthusiasm, but she was still winded from the surge. It took an hour for everybody to recover.

“So now that we’re here.” Kenpachi said, once everypony was alright. Twilight at that moment realized that all her friends were within power range. “We can get down to business.” He lifted his sword and Twilight took a defensive stance, putting a magical barrier up. Kenpachi brought his sword down on it and a massive shock wave blasted outwards from the impact, the barrier held but only just as Kenpachi kept pressing down trying to push her to the limit. Twilight was about to cave when the pressure lifted she looked up, all her friends and Lyra were attacking Kenpachi.

“How dare you?” Fluttershy said through a mouthful of Kenpachi’s’ hair.
“You barbarian.” Rarity yelled, telekinetically throwing branches and twigs at him.
“After ah’ let ya sleep in mah’ barn.” Applejack kicked at his legs.
“Ya big meanie.” Pinkie Pie jumped up and kicked him in the chest.
“That is so not cool.” Rainbow Dash flew around his head at high speeds. But the only one he seemed to be paying attention to was Lyra, who was attacking him in complete silence with a sword attached to her lyre. Kenpachi was deflecting her quite easily. Twilight decided to step in.

“Everypony stand back!” She yelled, her horn glowing. Kenpachi started to float up into the air, continually ascending until he was even higher than Cloudsdale, she then used another spell to allow them to talk with him while he was up there. “Now, what do you have to say for yourself?” Twilight barked at him. Just them the sun set and the moon rose, Twilight felt the magic holding Kenpachi buckle and Kenpachi started laughing.
“Hey Twilight,” he said, “you’re no longer the strongest thing here.”

There was a massive power surge and Twilight's magic gave out altogether. Kenpachi hit the ground with the force of a sonic rainboom, successfully incapacitating everything in a one hundred yard radius except Yachiru, who jumped up onto his back. “We’re going up to the palace.”

Canterlot: top palace balcony. Same time
Luna looked up at her moon, then down at the amplification armor she had re-forged from what remained of the Nightmare Moon armor. It allowed her to use the power of Nightmare moon, without risking her sanity, Luna felt very proud of herself. Completely unaware of the terrible power racing towards Canterlot.