The Eclipsing of Equestriaby KadzietChaptersNot-So-Divine InterventionGods and DreamsEvents UnfoldNot-So-Divine Intervention“Kyo Kusanagi?”, a woman's voice spoke softly behind him. He turned to see Chizuru Kagura. She was the keeper of one of the three sacred treasures that sealed Orochi all those years ago. “Kagura. You're late”, Kyo said as he knelt down. He appeared to be in pain. Chizuru motioned towards him, “You know it has to be done”. Kyo only nodded. He knew it was the only way to keep everyone safe. Orochi's seal was broken and the great demon had taken Iori Yagami. There was nothing human left inside his old rival now. It hurt, for some unknown reasons, but he knew what they were about to do may either save the world, or destroy it as we know it. “Kyooooo!!!!”, a man with red hair spat as he inched closer to Kyo Kusanagi. “Yagami! Snap out of it! This isn't you!”, Kyo stood. He readied his fists. He knew that fighting was getting him nowhere. So, he decided he would distract him while Chizuru created a strong enough sealing spell to contain Iori's power. Iori sped up. All he could see was hatred for Kyo Kusanagi. All he knew was that he must destroy him and leave nothing left for the crows to pick at. “Grrggghhh”, Iori growled as he dashed forward towards his weakened rival; his claws stretched out infront of his body. Kyo dodge rolled to the right and swept Iori's legs out from under him. Iori seemed surprised, but he quickly recovered and jumped at Kyo, but he had anticipated this. Kyo had already been charging his signature move; the Orochinagi. The blast hit Iori square in the chest and it had sent him reeling back. Dazed, Iori slashed angrily at the air infront of him. “Kusanagi!”, Chizuru called out, “It's time!”. Kyo nodded and ran back to Chizuru as she began to recite an ancient language. At the sound of those words, Iori became enraged as if he knew what they meant. Still unable to clear his dazed vision, Iori ran towards Chizuru's voice, only to be stopped by the magical seal below him. He was frozen. “KYOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”, he roared. Kyo turned. He couldn't stand to see the inhuman face of the man he had respected enough to call his rival. Chizuru closed her eyes as the seal began to glow brightly. Iori knew what was happening. He took a step. Then another. And another. The immense power of the seal was beginning to weaken. Chizuru strained against Orochi's awesome might, but she held on. Iori suddenly had a look of confusion on his face. There was then a bright light and a loud bang. The seal was complete. Kyo turned to see a smoking crater in the ground where Iori once was. “Chizuru?”, Kyo asked without turning to look at her. “He is safe from Orochi and safe from our world.”, Chizuru stated, “He is no longer a danger to anyone”. Kyo fell back and sat on the ground. He was exhausted. Meanwhile.... Iori's eyes couldn't focus. It was too bright for his eyes to properly adjust. “Wh-”, He tried to speak, but was met with a pain in his throat. 'Great', he thought as he felt himself sit up, 'I smell... grass.'. Iori confirmed his thought as he felt the earth beneath him. 'Where am I?', he thought to himself. His last memory was... “I refuse to be a slave to you, demon!” Iori shouted toward the embodiment of Gaia's Will infront of him. Orochi was a being created to be nature's guardian, but as the human population grew, so did it's rage. It saw mankind as nothing more than a parasite that needed to be cleansed. That was Orochi's purpose. To protect the Earth, and the god will see to it that it happens. “Speechless, hm?” Iori smirked, but his expression was replaced with hated and annoyance, “Be gone with thee!”, he shouted as he ran forward. That was his last memory. He could see images of Kyo and Chizuru in his head, but he had no idea why he was thinking of them, nor as to why his body was in great pain, but he shook it off and stood. He was still unable to focus his vision, but he made an effort to squint. He could see grass around him, but eventually realized he was in a clearing as he was also surrounded by trees. 'Tch, annoying', he thought as he began to walk in a random direction, unsure as to where exactly he was. A few moments had passed and Iori's eyes had adjusted to the dimness around him. However, he was still unable to speak. His throat felt as if he had been screaming for hours. A sensation he was familiar with as he was in a band. He sighed, but his senses were alerted at the sound of a twig snapping behind him. Iori quickly turned, his purple flame bursting to life in his palm. His expression turned to surprise as he realized what he was looking at. It resembled a wolf, but it was made entirely out of branches and leaves. The timber wolf, seeing it's opportunity, pounced at the red headed man. Iori quickly rolled to the right and lashed out with a blast of purple energy. It hit it's mark as the timber wolf was caught in it's ribs. The wolf was getting ready to charge, but the magical energy holding it together was dispelled by the fire and it quickly fell apart. 'Vile demon', Iori thought to himself. 'Hmph'. Just then, another sound was heard. It came from overhead. Living in Japan, Iori was exposed to many sounds so he was able to recognize the sound as something fast flying through the air. He quickly looked up to see a blue blur streak across the sky and vanish. Iori pondered what it might be, but he just shook off the thought and continued to walk through the strange forest. 'Sh*t', he thought. Iori looked up to the sky to see it was getting darker as he entered another clearing. Now, he wasn't afraid. Iori Yagami was one of Japan's top fighters, if not the most violent, and he was sure that he could handle anything thrown his way. A few moments past when he heard something above him. It was the sound of something flying through the sky; only this time it sounded like more than one thing. He could even make out the sounds of wings flapping against the air. Iori's expression turned to annoyance at the sound as it seemed to be coming closer. His eyes searched the sky, but to no avail. He could not find the source of that annoying sound. 'Tch, what a waste of my time', Iori thought as he began to turn. Just then, he heard something land in the clearing. Iori turned to see what it was and he couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't process what he was looking at. What he saw was two pegasus, of myth and legend, pulling a golden chariot, but that wasn't what took him by surprise; it was the one in the chariot. Whatever it was, it looked like a cross between a unicorn and a pegasus. Iori's expression changed once more to a frown, then to anger. He did not care if his throat burned as he shouted, “And who the hell are you supposed to be?!”. The alicorn smiled as she spoke, “It's not often we get human visitors. What is your name?”. Iori tilted his head. 'It can talk?' he thought to himself. “Where the hell am I?”, Iori answered with his own question. The alicorn raised a brow, “I believe you should answer my question first, but I will give you this one. You are in Equestia, but we are currently in the Everfree Forest. Quite a dangerous place, if I might add”. Iori sneered, “Dangerous?! Hmph. The demons that roam this place are no match for me”. The unknown alicorn stepped down from the chariot and now stood infront of it. “Now tell me, human, what is your name?”. Iori stepped back, but decided he should answer. “I am Iori Yagami”, he said rather plainly. The alicorn raised a brow and smiled, “I am Princess Celestia. I am the ruler of this land. Care to tell me how you got into the Everfree Forest?”. Iori shrugged his shoulders and looked away with a sneer, “I do not know. I woke up and here I was”. Celestia was expressionless as she began to think, but she eventually spoke. “You were transported here from another world, it would seem”. Iori raised a brow and looked to the princess with disdain, “And how would you know?”. Celestia's expression did not change as she spoke, “Magic is not something that's uncommon here. I had felt a powerful magical energy coming from the Everfree Forest, and now here I find you. Care to explain?”. Iori looked away, “Tch, hell if I know. I just woke up here”. The princess nodded, “I see. Then would you mind coming with me?”. Iori sneered on instinct, but eventually rationalized it to be for the best. He could always escape later. Without a sound, he moved past the princess and into the chariot. Celestia smiled as she joined the strange man, and they took off towards her castle in Canterlot. Gods and DreamsA few weeks had passed since Iori Yagami's arrival in Equestria. He wasn't adapting well to the odd lifestyle of the ponies that surrounded him. “Umm... it's kind of cold, sorry”, said a female voice. Iori turned in his seat to see the purple alicorn princess known as Twilight Sparkle. He grunted and turned back in his seat. It was late evening and dinner was being served in the castle's dining room. Iori sighed at the thought of another night without his one favorite food group; Meat. For those past few weeks, all he had eaten was salad and fruit. Although it was a healthy alternative, a fighter of his caliber was in need of protein. Twilight smiled sheepishly as she set the table. Normally, the ponies working in the castle would be setting the table, but Iori's presence was to be kept unknown until further notice. So here she was, setting the table with her horn, under the steel gaze of the first human to ever set foot in Equestria. “What is it?”, Twilight finally managed to find the courage to ask. Iori looked away and rested his chin on his palm; his elbow planted firmly on the table. “Right”, the mare rolled her eyes and took her, reluctant, seat next to the red headed man. “So, I'd like to ask a fe-”, she was cut off mid-sentence by Celestia entering the room. The white alicorn raised a brow as she entered the room. What she saw was Iori leaning away from Twilight; whilst Twilight was trying to move closer. “Am I interrupting something?”, she asked. Twilight quickly regained her composure, “Uhh... no. Everything's fine”, she managed to say. A few moments had passed. Iori stared down at his vegetable soup. He grimaced as he could feel the cold emanating from the bowl. “Is there something wrong with the soup?”, inquired Twilight with a raised brow. Iori shook his head and muttered, “Cold”. Twilight blushed and looked away, “S-sorry. I tried following the recipe, but the oven just wouldn't turn on. However, I have read about soups being served cold. Or that may have been ice cream, but-”, she stopped when she saw the man place a hand on his bowl. “What are you doing now?”, she asked. Iori answered by closing his eyes. He had done this before during his travels. Iori focused his energy and will through the bowl and into the soup. A moment had passed when the soup began to bubble and boil. At this, Iori opened his eyes and stood; bowl in hand. Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming, “H-how did you do that?! Was that some form of spell?!”, she stammered, “C-can you do that to mine?!”. Iori sneered and headed for the door. Celestia nodded as he opened the door. Twilight looked to the princess, then to the man. Grinning, Iori turned and sent a purple bolt of fire streaking towards Twilights bowl. “Bwah!”, she cried out as she fell back in her chair. The attack hit Twilights bowl, shattering the porcelain and sending bits of soup flying in every direction. Iori smiled, “That hot enough for you?”. He then turned and made his way to his “room”. Celestia sighed, “You alright Twilight?”. The purple mare stood, “Y-yeah. What's his deal anyway?”, she asked, “First time he says anything to me and he decides to explode my soup with... whatever that was”. Celestia nodded in understanding, but said, “You must understand, Twilight Sparkle. He is not of our world. We have no clue as to the customs of his race. You should be more careful in what you say around him, alright?”. Twilight only nodded. _______________________ “Hmph. Annoying rat”, Iori said to himself as he slammed the empty soup bowl into the wall. “She runs her mouth with no regard for those around her. Annoying...”, he said as he looked down at his hand. Memories of Orochi flooded into his mind causing him the punch the wall and leaving a small fist sized indent. 'You will not control me, foul demon', Iori thought to himself before motioning for his bed. He remembered his first week at Canterlot. His first night was hell. He had grown accustomed to sleeping on the ground, or sleeping inside a shelter of some sort, but he was not prepared for a child-sized bed. Iori was annoyed, but awoke to find his bed a regular human twin size. He grimaced at the kindness being shown to him at the time, but he had grown used to such a thing the past few weeks. However, he was well hidden and a well kept secret, but Iori couldn't help but feel he was here for a purpose. A purpose of which he had no idea to what it was. Iori looked to the ceiling as he lay on his bed. The image of Luna and Celestia were painted and were reminders of this strange world. 'I'll find a way out of here. I just have to play along until I get my chance', he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep. _______________________ Iori was dreaming. He knew the familiar sensation for he was a regular lucid dreamer. He looked around at the area around him. Iori grimaced at the destruction. Bodies lay strewn across the grass. Trees, houses, and vehicles were ablaze with his signature purple fire. Iori knew he should be overwhelmed, but these dreams were a regular occurrence, but this time it felt different. He was aware of a presence within his dream. A presence whom he had thought disappeared along with that bright white light. 'What do you want?!', Iori cried out as the familiar god manifested infront of his eyes. Orochi did not say a word, but Iori knew what it was thinking. 'Is that so? Hmph, you're even stupider than you look. I refuse. Get thee out of my dream, before I force you out!'. Iori smirked as his arm was engulfed in his fire. Orochi did not blink, but it did move his head to the right. “Iori?! What's wrong?!”, said a panicked voice from beyond his world. Iori suddenly felt as if he was falling. He awoke to find himself kneeling on the floor. He noticed his hand was on his chest, as well as blood infront of his eyes. For a second, Iori thought he could see mist escaping from his mouth, but it immediately stopped. He looked up to see Twilight and Princess Luna gazing at him with worry in their eyes. “Are you alright?”, Twilight asked him. Iori quickly stood and turned away with a sneer. “It's ok to tell us if something is wrong, Iori Yagami”, Luna said calmly, “We won't bite”. Iori remained silent as he moved to his bed and laid back down. He closed his eyes. Behind him, Twilight and Luna exchanged glances and left. _______________________ “Luna?”, Twilight spoke. The moon goddess nodded. “I-I... I have to tell somepony about this, but I don't know how to say it”. Twilight lowered her head as they walked. “Twilight Sparkle. We are indeed aware of that man's presence. We too can feel the dark energy coming from deep within him”, Luna looked to Twilight and her eyes became serious as she spoke, “You felt it too, didn't you? Another presence within the room?”. The mare nodded, but remained silent as Luna continued, “We cannot trust this man, but we can be sure that he knows what he's doing. Whatever that presence was, I could feel he was fighting it with all his strength”, Luna suddenly stopped and put her attention squarely on Twilight, “But the question remains. What are you willing to do when he breaks? What will happen when that presence wins?”. The purple mare only lowered her head. Luna nodded as they continued on to their rooms. _______________________ A few days had passed since the incident in the room. Iori was still shaken up, as one could tell by his sloppy technique. Iori was in a training room, made especially for him by Celestia. He had given up thinking as to why she did it, and decided to just accept it as something necessary to continue his training. “Huuhhh!”, Iori grunted as he completed a 3 hit upper-cut combo. He then turned and dashed for a wooden post as he executed his signature move; The Maiden Masher. “SHI-NE!”, he cried out in his native japanese language as a large plume of purple fire explodes from his palms and sent the wooden post back into a wall. “Hmph”, Iori simply stated. /Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap/ Iori turned to see Twilight standing at the entrance, along with Celestia. “Wow! That was amazing!”, exclaimed the purple mare as she walked into the room, “Are you going to tell me how do conjure up those flames like that?”. Iori sighed at the same question he had heard many times before. “Well?”, asked Twilight. Iori grunted and motioned for a bench. He sat, but left enough room for the mare to sit with him. “Wow! You'll really do it?!,” Twilight cheered as she sat beside the red head. Iori nodded and began to explain. “It's a part of my family. I have this accursed flame due to my ancestors carelessness and greed.”, Iori began, “My ancestors craved power, but it wasn't until a member of the Hakkeshu clan posed as a Kusanagi assassin, and slew one of our own. Desperate to strike back, my ancestors made a pact with the great demon Orochi. In exchange for this fire... our women, men, children, and sanity were all affected”. Twilight's eyes sparkled at this onslaught of new information and she remained quiet for more, but Iori became silent. A moment had passed before Twilight spoke up, “Umm... is that it?”. Iori nodded and stood. The princess couldn't help but feel as if he was keeping something from her, but decided it was best not to pry. Iori walked past Celestia without a word and returned to his chambers. “Princess Celestia?”, Twilight asked. The sun goddess nodded. “Luna had told me that we are all feeling the same way. He's hiding something, isn't he?”. Celestia slightly smiled before turning and leaving. Twilight sighed as she too left. _______________________ 'What do you want with me?!', Iori shouted to the demon god hovering over him. He was dreaming again. Again, Orochi was silent. This annoyed Iori as he lashed out with purple sparks of fire. 'Speak! Or I will force the answers I seek out of you, worthless worm!'. Still, Orochi was silent. Iori growled at the being and grabbed it by the throat. “P-please... stop...”. _______________________ Iori became conscious again. What he saw was burned into his mind. He found himself holding Twilight Sparkle, the young mare, up by the throat. She appeared to be crying. “P-please.... sto-”, she was cut off as she passed out. Iori quickly let go. His mind was racing as he looked down to his hands. His skin was a darker tone. He even noticed steam rising from his lips. However, all that disappeared as he fully realized what he had done. “Twilight?!”, Iori shook the unmoving princess. “Twilight?!”. Events UnfoldThe medical wing was busy. Doctors and nurses were frantic as they ran around in a panic. Their newest Princess, Twilight Sparkle, was in the ICU in critical condition and worsening. Iori Yagami. The man who had put the princess into the ICU was outside his room on the balcony overlooking Canterlot. He sighed and put his head down. He knew he didn't feel guilty or bad about what he done, but he did feel ashamed that he was so easily overcome by Orochi's influence. Had he known that the dark god was distracting him, he may have avoided ever entering his, long forgotten, blood riot state. Iori hadn't known there was a presence behind him until it spoke in a soft voice, “Iori Yagami. I believe now is the time to explain what happened to Twilight Sparkle”. He sighed and turned to see an expressionless Princess Celestia. Iori quickly looked away and returned to his brooding on the balcony. “It was not a question. A princess has been badly injured and you are the one to blame. Explain yourself”, Celestia said with a hint of desperation. Iori merely grunted, but he shuffled to the left to give Celestia some room. The princess nodded and joined the man on the balcony. “It's a beautiful night, isn't it”, she said as she looked towards the moon. “Orochi”, was Iori's answer. Celestia's ears perked up and she turned her head to look straight at him as she spoke, “Orochi?”. Iori nodded and began to explain. “My ancestors had made a pact with a demon who went by Orochi. They say it was created by the Will of Gaia to wipe out mankind. In exchange for our power,” Iori said as he showed Celestia the purple flame within his palm. “We were cursed. Women died in child birth and the men were destined to die young. However, there was an unknown condition. Dominion over our blood.” Iori paused to look at the princess in the eyes, “It has been named the 'Riot of the Blood'. It has been several years since I had succumbed to Orochi's influence, but tonight... tonight it was there. It had managed to distract me whilst dreaming and exploit my curse.”, Iori lowered his head and went back to looking out to Canterlot. Princess Celestia was silent for a moment as the gears began to turn in her head. “For the first time in my life”, Celestia began, “I am without words”. Iori looked to the goddess with a questioning gaze. Celestia sighed before she spoke, “This is unknown to me. I wouldn't know where to begin, but perhaps the problem isn't this 'Orochi'.” Iori tilted his head slightly, “What do you mean by that, Princess?”. The white alicorn looked towards the moon as she explained, “You remind me of the moon, Iori Yagami or should I say my sister.”, she began, “She too was under the influence of dark power, but she had managed to overcome it with the help of others.”, Celestia said as she turned to Iori, “So perhaps the problem isn't Orochi. Perhaps the problem is you”. Iori glared at the goddess of the sun. He was ready to attack. Celestia must have noticed as she just turned and flew off into the night sky; leaving Iori to cool off and think over what she had said. Iori entered his room in a fit of rage. He punched the wall many times over and had even burned the small desk to ashes before he was able to cool off. “I'm the problem?!”. Iori stated to himself, “Hmph....”. He sighed and sat on his bed. 'What if she's right?', he thought to himself. 'The help... of others?', Iori scoffed at the idea. “I'll fight my own battles. I refuse to be a puppet to Orochi!”, he began, “I've overcome this curse in the past. I can do so again... alone!”, he shouted to the world, before laying down and falling asleep. _______________________ Chizuru awoke in a cold sweat. She held her head as he sat up in her bed. “Iori... Yagami”, she said to herself before waking up and realizing the content of her dream. “He's ALIVE! HE WASN'T SEALED AWAY?!”. The heir to the Yata Mirror quickly got out of bed and grabbed the sacred treasure she always kept close. “Mirror, don't fail me now”, she pleaded to herself as she gazed into the glass reflection. Her eyes went wide with shock. She notices Iori Yagami sleeping in a bed in which appeared to be a large room. Chizuru then notices something behind him. Orochi. The god was standing beside his bed. “I-Iori!”, she screamed, but she knew he couldn't hear, but to her surprise Orochi looked straight at her. Chizuru quickly closed the image and turned away as goosebumps ran up and down her body. “Iori Yagami... is still in danger, and so are those around him!”. She ran for the telephone and quickly dialed a number only to be greeted with voicemail. 'This is Kyo Kusanagi. You know what to do'. Chizuru nearly screamed into the reciever, “Kusanagi. Yagami is still alive. You need to call me as soon as you get this message”. She sighed as she sent the voicemail and ended the call. _______________________ Iori awoke in his bed. He sat up and yawned, but nearly fell back when he saw a quick glimpse of Chizuru Kagura standing beside the bed before it disappeared. “What the hell?!”, Iori exclaimed as he stood. What did he just see? Was it really her? Why was she here? Iori's mind swarmed with questions, but his thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. He quickly gathered his thoughts before saying, “Come in”. Princess Luna entered, followed by Celestia. “Sleep well?”, Luna asked with a raised brow. Iori grunted in response and Luna smirked, “I'll take that as a no”. Celestia moved infront of her younger sister and smiled softy, “There are some mares I would like you to meet”. “No”, Iori quickly dejected. Celestia's smile disappeared as quickly as it came. “It wasn't an offer. These mares are 5 parts to what we call “The Elements of Harmony”. I believe they may be able to help you, if at all”. Iori crossed his arms and quickly turned towards the balcony. Body language that he accepts. His ears twitched as he heard five distinct hoof-steps. One was... bouncy. Another was heavier, suggesting strength. He then barely made out a few silent hoof-steps. There was a set that ended, but was replaced with the sound of flapping wings. Iori hadn't bothered to listen for the fifth as he turned to see five ponies looking at him with expressions full of surprise. Iori gave the ponies a once over. The one flapping her wings and hovering above was a cyan blue color. She had a rainbow colored mane which gave him a headache. The next, right below the cyan mare, also had wings. She was a yellow butter colored mare with pink hair who appeared to be trying to move back, but was unable to due to the princesses being right behind them all. Iori then turned his attention to a horned mare with white fur and a purple mane. This one was inspecting her hooves with an annoyed look in her eyes. He rolled his eyes and turned his head. “HEY!”, screamed the pink one, now suddenly infront of his face. Iori fell back began confuring his flames within his palm and was preparing to toast the perceived threat immediately, but quickly realized what it was. The pink mare giggled and “ooo'd” at his fire. “What's that?”, she asked as she bounced closer. “Hmph”, Iori replied as the fire disappeared from sight. “I'm sorry 'bout that”. Iori turned to the voice to see the heavy hoofed mare with a sincere look of apology on her face, “Pinkie Pie loves meeting new and interesting creatures. Pony or not”. Just then, Iori realized she was wearing a stetson. She must've noticed because she tilted it in greeting. “M'name's Applejack”, she said with a nod. “I'm Pinkie Pie!”, shouted the pink one with a giggle. “I'm Rarity”, exclaimed the white mare. She had apparently been pleased with the sight of her hooves as she was now looking at Iori. “I'm Rainbow Dash. THE fastest flyer in all of Equestria!”, boasted the cyan colored one. The butter colored mare appeared to be moving her mouth, but Iori could not make out what she was saying. The cya-err-Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pointed right at the pink maned mare. “This is Fluttershy. She's uhh... well, she's shy”. Iori stood and dusted himself off. He was going to introduce himself, but became silent. Since when did he greet himself? Or rather, since when did he begin thinking of being nice to others?! Iori scoffed and turned away from the five young mares. “What's his deal?”, he heard Rainbow Dash ask. “Give him some time. He'll warm up”, Celestia said, “Now, why don't we show you to your rooms?”. Iori's ears twitched as they left. Rooms? Did Celestia honestly believe he would become chummy with those five ponies?! Iori laughed to himself. 'She has lost her mind', he thought with a smile. _______________________ Dinner. As usual, it had begun when the moon rose over the horizon. Iori knew the routine, but he hadn't expected to see those five ponies gathered around the long table, even though he knew they would now be staying at the castle for the time being. “Hey! Yagami! You can come sit beside me!”, shouted Rainbow Dash as she patted the empty seat beside her. Iori merely looked away. As he approached the table he had realized something. The only available seat was beside the annoyingly colored Rainbow Dash. He felt his anger building, but quickly closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he moved to the seat beside Rainbow Dash and sat down. “So Celestia says you're a human”, the cyan mare exclaimed. Iori looked to the other ponies. All eyes were on him as if they were expecting him to answer. He sighed and nodded. Rarity rose a brow. “So, where did you come from?”, she asked. “Japan”, Iori simply stated. Rarity furrowed his brows at the simple answer, “Oh, really? And where is that?”. Iori shot her an annoyed death glare, but Rarity was unaffected. Just then, the pink one who went by Pinkie Pie, was infront of Iori and sitting on his plate as she pushed her face nearer to his. “Hey! Do you like parties?! I bet you do! We'll have a party when you come to Ponyville! A WELCOME PARTY JUST FOR YOU!”. Iori was vastly unamused. He looked down to his plate then back to Pinkie Pie. It was then she realized where she was, “Oh”, she blushed, “Oops!”, she said before bouncing back to her seat. “Again, sorry 'bout that”, Applejack said with a sincere tone. Iori couldn't place it, but he felt that he could trust this mare with his life. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head and focused on replying vaguely. He grunted in response. “Pinkie means well. Honest!”, she said. Iori was not convinced and quickly turned away to avoid any further conversations, but realized he was now rather close to Rainbow Dash. “Uhh...”, the cyan mare blushed and turned away. Iori furrowed his brows and decided to focus his attention on his plate. “Oooooo”, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and even Fluttershy said in unison.... Fluttershy. Iori looked up to see her quickly turn away. Shy. 'She lives up to her name', he thought to himself. “Shut up! I was scratching under my wing!”, Rainbow Dash shouted to her friends with a visible blush. Iori knew what it meant. She was genuinely angry. His smile was barely visible. Iori knew what it was like to be angry as he was angry at something almost everyday. Rainbow Dash looked down to see Iori smiling up at her. “Y-you're not helping!”, she yelled. Iori laughed. _______________________ Dinner had gone off without any big problems. Iori noticed that he had laughed a good bit during dinner, but he quickly shrugged and pushed that thought away. He was now in his room on the balcony, but he was no longer looking to the ground; Rather, he was looking towards the moon. It was a crescent moon tonight. Iori smirked as he silently recited his favorite phrase, “Remember me when you look at the moon”. _______________________ Kyo Kusanagi paused for a moment in his last minute training. He had gotten Chizuru's message and was preparing himself for another fight. Just then, he had thought he heard a voice. He looked up to see the crescent moon shining over the city. He smirked as he punched the wooden post, “Of course. How could I forget”.
Not-So-Divine Intervention“Kyo Kusanagi?”, a woman's voice spoke softly behind him. He turned to see Chizuru Kagura. She was the keeper of one of the three sacred treasures that sealed Orochi all those years ago. “Kagura. You're late”, Kyo said as he knelt down. He appeared to be in pain. Chizuru motioned towards him, “You know it has to be done”. Kyo only nodded. He knew it was the only way to keep everyone safe. Orochi's seal was broken and the great demon had taken Iori Yagami. There was nothing human left inside his old rival now. It hurt, for some unknown reasons, but he knew what they were about to do may either save the world, or destroy it as we know it. “Kyooooo!!!!”, a man with red hair spat as he inched closer to Kyo Kusanagi. “Yagami! Snap out of it! This isn't you!”, Kyo stood. He readied his fists. He knew that fighting was getting him nowhere. So, he decided he would distract him while Chizuru created a strong enough sealing spell to contain Iori's power. Iori sped up. All he could see was hatred for Kyo Kusanagi. All he knew was that he must destroy him and leave nothing left for the crows to pick at. “Grrggghhh”, Iori growled as he dashed forward towards his weakened rival; his claws stretched out infront of his body. Kyo dodge rolled to the right and swept Iori's legs out from under him. Iori seemed surprised, but he quickly recovered and jumped at Kyo, but he had anticipated this. Kyo had already been charging his signature move; the Orochinagi. The blast hit Iori square in the chest and it had sent him reeling back. Dazed, Iori slashed angrily at the air infront of him. “Kusanagi!”, Chizuru called out, “It's time!”. Kyo nodded and ran back to Chizuru as she began to recite an ancient language. At the sound of those words, Iori became enraged as if he knew what they meant. Still unable to clear his dazed vision, Iori ran towards Chizuru's voice, only to be stopped by the magical seal below him. He was frozen. “KYOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!”, he roared. Kyo turned. He couldn't stand to see the inhuman face of the man he had respected enough to call his rival. Chizuru closed her eyes as the seal began to glow brightly. Iori knew what was happening. He took a step. Then another. And another. The immense power of the seal was beginning to weaken. Chizuru strained against Orochi's awesome might, but she held on. Iori suddenly had a look of confusion on his face. There was then a bright light and a loud bang. The seal was complete. Kyo turned to see a smoking crater in the ground where Iori once was. “Chizuru?”, Kyo asked without turning to look at her. “He is safe from Orochi and safe from our world.”, Chizuru stated, “He is no longer a danger to anyone”. Kyo fell back and sat on the ground. He was exhausted. Meanwhile.... Iori's eyes couldn't focus. It was too bright for his eyes to properly adjust. “Wh-”, He tried to speak, but was met with a pain in his throat. 'Great', he thought as he felt himself sit up, 'I smell... grass.'. Iori confirmed his thought as he felt the earth beneath him. 'Where am I?', he thought to himself. His last memory was... “I refuse to be a slave to you, demon!” Iori shouted toward the embodiment of Gaia's Will infront of him. Orochi was a being created to be nature's guardian, but as the human population grew, so did it's rage. It saw mankind as nothing more than a parasite that needed to be cleansed. That was Orochi's purpose. To protect the Earth, and the god will see to it that it happens. “Speechless, hm?” Iori smirked, but his expression was replaced with hated and annoyance, “Be gone with thee!”, he shouted as he ran forward. That was his last memory. He could see images of Kyo and Chizuru in his head, but he had no idea why he was thinking of them, nor as to why his body was in great pain, but he shook it off and stood. He was still unable to focus his vision, but he made an effort to squint. He could see grass around him, but eventually realized he was in a clearing as he was also surrounded by trees. 'Tch, annoying', he thought as he began to walk in a random direction, unsure as to where exactly he was. A few moments had passed and Iori's eyes had adjusted to the dimness around him. However, he was still unable to speak. His throat felt as if he had been screaming for hours. A sensation he was familiar with as he was in a band. He sighed, but his senses were alerted at the sound of a twig snapping behind him. Iori quickly turned, his purple flame bursting to life in his palm. His expression turned to surprise as he realized what he was looking at. It resembled a wolf, but it was made entirely out of branches and leaves. The timber wolf, seeing it's opportunity, pounced at the red headed man. Iori quickly rolled to the right and lashed out with a blast of purple energy. It hit it's mark as the timber wolf was caught in it's ribs. The wolf was getting ready to charge, but the magical energy holding it together was dispelled by the fire and it quickly fell apart. 'Vile demon', Iori thought to himself. 'Hmph'. Just then, another sound was heard. It came from overhead. Living in Japan, Iori was exposed to many sounds so he was able to recognize the sound as something fast flying through the air. He quickly looked up to see a blue blur streak across the sky and vanish. Iori pondered what it might be, but he just shook off the thought and continued to walk through the strange forest. 'Sh*t', he thought. Iori looked up to the sky to see it was getting darker as he entered another clearing. Now, he wasn't afraid. Iori Yagami was one of Japan's top fighters, if not the most violent, and he was sure that he could handle anything thrown his way. A few moments past when he heard something above him. It was the sound of something flying through the sky; only this time it sounded like more than one thing. He could even make out the sounds of wings flapping against the air. Iori's expression turned to annoyance at the sound as it seemed to be coming closer. His eyes searched the sky, but to no avail. He could not find the source of that annoying sound. 'Tch, what a waste of my time', Iori thought as he began to turn. Just then, he heard something land in the clearing. Iori turned to see what it was and he couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't process what he was looking at. What he saw was two pegasus, of myth and legend, pulling a golden chariot, but that wasn't what took him by surprise; it was the one in the chariot. Whatever it was, it looked like a cross between a unicorn and a pegasus. Iori's expression changed once more to a frown, then to anger. He did not care if his throat burned as he shouted, “And who the hell are you supposed to be?!”. The alicorn smiled as she spoke, “It's not often we get human visitors. What is your name?”. Iori tilted his head. 'It can talk?' he thought to himself. “Where the hell am I?”, Iori answered with his own question. The alicorn raised a brow, “I believe you should answer my question first, but I will give you this one. You are in Equestia, but we are currently in the Everfree Forest. Quite a dangerous place, if I might add”. Iori sneered, “Dangerous?! Hmph. The demons that roam this place are no match for me”. The unknown alicorn stepped down from the chariot and now stood infront of it. “Now tell me, human, what is your name?”. Iori stepped back, but decided he should answer. “I am Iori Yagami”, he said rather plainly. The alicorn raised a brow and smiled, “I am Princess Celestia. I am the ruler of this land. Care to tell me how you got into the Everfree Forest?”. Iori shrugged his shoulders and looked away with a sneer, “I do not know. I woke up and here I was”. Celestia was expressionless as she began to think, but she eventually spoke. “You were transported here from another world, it would seem”. Iori raised a brow and looked to the princess with disdain, “And how would you know?”. Celestia's expression did not change as she spoke, “Magic is not something that's uncommon here. I had felt a powerful magical energy coming from the Everfree Forest, and now here I find you. Care to explain?”. Iori looked away, “Tch, hell if I know. I just woke up here”. The princess nodded, “I see. Then would you mind coming with me?”. Iori sneered on instinct, but eventually rationalized it to be for the best. He could always escape later. Without a sound, he moved past the princess and into the chariot. Celestia smiled as she joined the strange man, and they took off towards her castle in Canterlot.
Gods and DreamsA few weeks had passed since Iori Yagami's arrival in Equestria. He wasn't adapting well to the odd lifestyle of the ponies that surrounded him. “Umm... it's kind of cold, sorry”, said a female voice. Iori turned in his seat to see the purple alicorn princess known as Twilight Sparkle. He grunted and turned back in his seat. It was late evening and dinner was being served in the castle's dining room. Iori sighed at the thought of another night without his one favorite food group; Meat. For those past few weeks, all he had eaten was salad and fruit. Although it was a healthy alternative, a fighter of his caliber was in need of protein. Twilight smiled sheepishly as she set the table. Normally, the ponies working in the castle would be setting the table, but Iori's presence was to be kept unknown until further notice. So here she was, setting the table with her horn, under the steel gaze of the first human to ever set foot in Equestria. “What is it?”, Twilight finally managed to find the courage to ask. Iori looked away and rested his chin on his palm; his elbow planted firmly on the table. “Right”, the mare rolled her eyes and took her, reluctant, seat next to the red headed man. “So, I'd like to ask a fe-”, she was cut off mid-sentence by Celestia entering the room. The white alicorn raised a brow as she entered the room. What she saw was Iori leaning away from Twilight; whilst Twilight was trying to move closer. “Am I interrupting something?”, she asked. Twilight quickly regained her composure, “Uhh... no. Everything's fine”, she managed to say. A few moments had passed. Iori stared down at his vegetable soup. He grimaced as he could feel the cold emanating from the bowl. “Is there something wrong with the soup?”, inquired Twilight with a raised brow. Iori shook his head and muttered, “Cold”. Twilight blushed and looked away, “S-sorry. I tried following the recipe, but the oven just wouldn't turn on. However, I have read about soups being served cold. Or that may have been ice cream, but-”, she stopped when she saw the man place a hand on his bowl. “What are you doing now?”, she asked. Iori answered by closing his eyes. He had done this before during his travels. Iori focused his energy and will through the bowl and into the soup. A moment had passed when the soup began to bubble and boil. At this, Iori opened his eyes and stood; bowl in hand. Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming, “H-how did you do that?! Was that some form of spell?!”, she stammered, “C-can you do that to mine?!”. Iori sneered and headed for the door. Celestia nodded as he opened the door. Twilight looked to the princess, then to the man. Grinning, Iori turned and sent a purple bolt of fire streaking towards Twilights bowl. “Bwah!”, she cried out as she fell back in her chair. The attack hit Twilights bowl, shattering the porcelain and sending bits of soup flying in every direction. Iori smiled, “That hot enough for you?”. He then turned and made his way to his “room”. Celestia sighed, “You alright Twilight?”. The purple mare stood, “Y-yeah. What's his deal anyway?”, she asked, “First time he says anything to me and he decides to explode my soup with... whatever that was”. Celestia nodded in understanding, but said, “You must understand, Twilight Sparkle. He is not of our world. We have no clue as to the customs of his race. You should be more careful in what you say around him, alright?”. Twilight only nodded. _______________________ “Hmph. Annoying rat”, Iori said to himself as he slammed the empty soup bowl into the wall. “She runs her mouth with no regard for those around her. Annoying...”, he said as he looked down at his hand. Memories of Orochi flooded into his mind causing him the punch the wall and leaving a small fist sized indent. 'You will not control me, foul demon', Iori thought to himself before motioning for his bed. He remembered his first week at Canterlot. His first night was hell. He had grown accustomed to sleeping on the ground, or sleeping inside a shelter of some sort, but he was not prepared for a child-sized bed. Iori was annoyed, but awoke to find his bed a regular human twin size. He grimaced at the kindness being shown to him at the time, but he had grown used to such a thing the past few weeks. However, he was well hidden and a well kept secret, but Iori couldn't help but feel he was here for a purpose. A purpose of which he had no idea to what it was. Iori looked to the ceiling as he lay on his bed. The image of Luna and Celestia were painted and were reminders of this strange world. 'I'll find a way out of here. I just have to play along until I get my chance', he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep. _______________________ Iori was dreaming. He knew the familiar sensation for he was a regular lucid dreamer. He looked around at the area around him. Iori grimaced at the destruction. Bodies lay strewn across the grass. Trees, houses, and vehicles were ablaze with his signature purple fire. Iori knew he should be overwhelmed, but these dreams were a regular occurrence, but this time it felt different. He was aware of a presence within his dream. A presence whom he had thought disappeared along with that bright white light. 'What do you want?!', Iori cried out as the familiar god manifested infront of his eyes. Orochi did not say a word, but Iori knew what it was thinking. 'Is that so? Hmph, you're even stupider than you look. I refuse. Get thee out of my dream, before I force you out!'. Iori smirked as his arm was engulfed in his fire. Orochi did not blink, but it did move his head to the right. “Iori?! What's wrong?!”, said a panicked voice from beyond his world. Iori suddenly felt as if he was falling. He awoke to find himself kneeling on the floor. He noticed his hand was on his chest, as well as blood infront of his eyes. For a second, Iori thought he could see mist escaping from his mouth, but it immediately stopped. He looked up to see Twilight and Princess Luna gazing at him with worry in their eyes. “Are you alright?”, Twilight asked him. Iori quickly stood and turned away with a sneer. “It's ok to tell us if something is wrong, Iori Yagami”, Luna said calmly, “We won't bite”. Iori remained silent as he moved to his bed and laid back down. He closed his eyes. Behind him, Twilight and Luna exchanged glances and left. _______________________ “Luna?”, Twilight spoke. The moon goddess nodded. “I-I... I have to tell somepony about this, but I don't know how to say it”. Twilight lowered her head as they walked. “Twilight Sparkle. We are indeed aware of that man's presence. We too can feel the dark energy coming from deep within him”, Luna looked to Twilight and her eyes became serious as she spoke, “You felt it too, didn't you? Another presence within the room?”. The mare nodded, but remained silent as Luna continued, “We cannot trust this man, but we can be sure that he knows what he's doing. Whatever that presence was, I could feel he was fighting it with all his strength”, Luna suddenly stopped and put her attention squarely on Twilight, “But the question remains. What are you willing to do when he breaks? What will happen when that presence wins?”. The purple mare only lowered her head. Luna nodded as they continued on to their rooms. _______________________ A few days had passed since the incident in the room. Iori was still shaken up, as one could tell by his sloppy technique. Iori was in a training room, made especially for him by Celestia. He had given up thinking as to why she did it, and decided to just accept it as something necessary to continue his training. “Huuhhh!”, Iori grunted as he completed a 3 hit upper-cut combo. He then turned and dashed for a wooden post as he executed his signature move; The Maiden Masher. “SHI-NE!”, he cried out in his native japanese language as a large plume of purple fire explodes from his palms and sent the wooden post back into a wall. “Hmph”, Iori simply stated. /Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap/ Iori turned to see Twilight standing at the entrance, along with Celestia. “Wow! That was amazing!”, exclaimed the purple mare as she walked into the room, “Are you going to tell me how do conjure up those flames like that?”. Iori sighed at the same question he had heard many times before. “Well?”, asked Twilight. Iori grunted and motioned for a bench. He sat, but left enough room for the mare to sit with him. “Wow! You'll really do it?!,” Twilight cheered as she sat beside the red head. Iori nodded and began to explain. “It's a part of my family. I have this accursed flame due to my ancestors carelessness and greed.”, Iori began, “My ancestors craved power, but it wasn't until a member of the Hakkeshu clan posed as a Kusanagi assassin, and slew one of our own. Desperate to strike back, my ancestors made a pact with the great demon Orochi. In exchange for this fire... our women, men, children, and sanity were all affected”. Twilight's eyes sparkled at this onslaught of new information and she remained quiet for more, but Iori became silent. A moment had passed before Twilight spoke up, “Umm... is that it?”. Iori nodded and stood. The princess couldn't help but feel as if he was keeping something from her, but decided it was best not to pry. Iori walked past Celestia without a word and returned to his chambers. “Princess Celestia?”, Twilight asked. The sun goddess nodded. “Luna had told me that we are all feeling the same way. He's hiding something, isn't he?”. Celestia slightly smiled before turning and leaving. Twilight sighed as she too left. _______________________ 'What do you want with me?!', Iori shouted to the demon god hovering over him. He was dreaming again. Again, Orochi was silent. This annoyed Iori as he lashed out with purple sparks of fire. 'Speak! Or I will force the answers I seek out of you, worthless worm!'. Still, Orochi was silent. Iori growled at the being and grabbed it by the throat. “P-please... stop...”. _______________________ Iori became conscious again. What he saw was burned into his mind. He found himself holding Twilight Sparkle, the young mare, up by the throat. She appeared to be crying. “P-please.... sto-”, she was cut off as she passed out. Iori quickly let go. His mind was racing as he looked down to his hands. His skin was a darker tone. He even noticed steam rising from his lips. However, all that disappeared as he fully realized what he had done. “Twilight?!”, Iori shook the unmoving princess. “Twilight?!”.
Events UnfoldThe medical wing was busy. Doctors and nurses were frantic as they ran around in a panic. Their newest Princess, Twilight Sparkle, was in the ICU in critical condition and worsening. Iori Yagami. The man who had put the princess into the ICU was outside his room on the balcony overlooking Canterlot. He sighed and put his head down. He knew he didn't feel guilty or bad about what he done, but he did feel ashamed that he was so easily overcome by Orochi's influence. Had he known that the dark god was distracting him, he may have avoided ever entering his, long forgotten, blood riot state. Iori hadn't known there was a presence behind him until it spoke in a soft voice, “Iori Yagami. I believe now is the time to explain what happened to Twilight Sparkle”. He sighed and turned to see an expressionless Princess Celestia. Iori quickly looked away and returned to his brooding on the balcony. “It was not a question. A princess has been badly injured and you are the one to blame. Explain yourself”, Celestia said with a hint of desperation. Iori merely grunted, but he shuffled to the left to give Celestia some room. The princess nodded and joined the man on the balcony. “It's a beautiful night, isn't it”, she said as she looked towards the moon. “Orochi”, was Iori's answer. Celestia's ears perked up and she turned her head to look straight at him as she spoke, “Orochi?”. Iori nodded and began to explain. “My ancestors had made a pact with a demon who went by Orochi. They say it was created by the Will of Gaia to wipe out mankind. In exchange for our power,” Iori said as he showed Celestia the purple flame within his palm. “We were cursed. Women died in child birth and the men were destined to die young. However, there was an unknown condition. Dominion over our blood.” Iori paused to look at the princess in the eyes, “It has been named the 'Riot of the Blood'. It has been several years since I had succumbed to Orochi's influence, but tonight... tonight it was there. It had managed to distract me whilst dreaming and exploit my curse.”, Iori lowered his head and went back to looking out to Canterlot. Princess Celestia was silent for a moment as the gears began to turn in her head. “For the first time in my life”, Celestia began, “I am without words”. Iori looked to the goddess with a questioning gaze. Celestia sighed before she spoke, “This is unknown to me. I wouldn't know where to begin, but perhaps the problem isn't this 'Orochi'.” Iori tilted his head slightly, “What do you mean by that, Princess?”. The white alicorn looked towards the moon as she explained, “You remind me of the moon, Iori Yagami or should I say my sister.”, she began, “She too was under the influence of dark power, but she had managed to overcome it with the help of others.”, Celestia said as she turned to Iori, “So perhaps the problem isn't Orochi. Perhaps the problem is you”. Iori glared at the goddess of the sun. He was ready to attack. Celestia must have noticed as she just turned and flew off into the night sky; leaving Iori to cool off and think over what she had said. Iori entered his room in a fit of rage. He punched the wall many times over and had even burned the small desk to ashes before he was able to cool off. “I'm the problem?!”. Iori stated to himself, “Hmph....”. He sighed and sat on his bed. 'What if she's right?', he thought to himself. 'The help... of others?', Iori scoffed at the idea. “I'll fight my own battles. I refuse to be a puppet to Orochi!”, he began, “I've overcome this curse in the past. I can do so again... alone!”, he shouted to the world, before laying down and falling asleep. _______________________ Chizuru awoke in a cold sweat. She held her head as he sat up in her bed. “Iori... Yagami”, she said to herself before waking up and realizing the content of her dream. “He's ALIVE! HE WASN'T SEALED AWAY?!”. The heir to the Yata Mirror quickly got out of bed and grabbed the sacred treasure she always kept close. “Mirror, don't fail me now”, she pleaded to herself as she gazed into the glass reflection. Her eyes went wide with shock. She notices Iori Yagami sleeping in a bed in which appeared to be a large room. Chizuru then notices something behind him. Orochi. The god was standing beside his bed. “I-Iori!”, she screamed, but she knew he couldn't hear, but to her surprise Orochi looked straight at her. Chizuru quickly closed the image and turned away as goosebumps ran up and down her body. “Iori Yagami... is still in danger, and so are those around him!”. She ran for the telephone and quickly dialed a number only to be greeted with voicemail. 'This is Kyo Kusanagi. You know what to do'. Chizuru nearly screamed into the reciever, “Kusanagi. Yagami is still alive. You need to call me as soon as you get this message”. She sighed as she sent the voicemail and ended the call. _______________________ Iori awoke in his bed. He sat up and yawned, but nearly fell back when he saw a quick glimpse of Chizuru Kagura standing beside the bed before it disappeared. “What the hell?!”, Iori exclaimed as he stood. What did he just see? Was it really her? Why was she here? Iori's mind swarmed with questions, but his thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. He quickly gathered his thoughts before saying, “Come in”. Princess Luna entered, followed by Celestia. “Sleep well?”, Luna asked with a raised brow. Iori grunted in response and Luna smirked, “I'll take that as a no”. Celestia moved infront of her younger sister and smiled softy, “There are some mares I would like you to meet”. “No”, Iori quickly dejected. Celestia's smile disappeared as quickly as it came. “It wasn't an offer. These mares are 5 parts to what we call “The Elements of Harmony”. I believe they may be able to help you, if at all”. Iori crossed his arms and quickly turned towards the balcony. Body language that he accepts. His ears twitched as he heard five distinct hoof-steps. One was... bouncy. Another was heavier, suggesting strength. He then barely made out a few silent hoof-steps. There was a set that ended, but was replaced with the sound of flapping wings. Iori hadn't bothered to listen for the fifth as he turned to see five ponies looking at him with expressions full of surprise. Iori gave the ponies a once over. The one flapping her wings and hovering above was a cyan blue color. She had a rainbow colored mane which gave him a headache. The next, right below the cyan mare, also had wings. She was a yellow butter colored mare with pink hair who appeared to be trying to move back, but was unable to due to the princesses being right behind them all. Iori then turned his attention to a horned mare with white fur and a purple mane. This one was inspecting her hooves with an annoyed look in her eyes. He rolled his eyes and turned his head. “HEY!”, screamed the pink one, now suddenly infront of his face. Iori fell back began confuring his flames within his palm and was preparing to toast the perceived threat immediately, but quickly realized what it was. The pink mare giggled and “ooo'd” at his fire. “What's that?”, she asked as she bounced closer. “Hmph”, Iori replied as the fire disappeared from sight. “I'm sorry 'bout that”. Iori turned to the voice to see the heavy hoofed mare with a sincere look of apology on her face, “Pinkie Pie loves meeting new and interesting creatures. Pony or not”. Just then, Iori realized she was wearing a stetson. She must've noticed because she tilted it in greeting. “M'name's Applejack”, she said with a nod. “I'm Pinkie Pie!”, shouted the pink one with a giggle. “I'm Rarity”, exclaimed the white mare. She had apparently been pleased with the sight of her hooves as she was now looking at Iori. “I'm Rainbow Dash. THE fastest flyer in all of Equestria!”, boasted the cyan colored one. The butter colored mare appeared to be moving her mouth, but Iori could not make out what she was saying. The cya-err-Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pointed right at the pink maned mare. “This is Fluttershy. She's uhh... well, she's shy”. Iori stood and dusted himself off. He was going to introduce himself, but became silent. Since when did he greet himself? Or rather, since when did he begin thinking of being nice to others?! Iori scoffed and turned away from the five young mares. “What's his deal?”, he heard Rainbow Dash ask. “Give him some time. He'll warm up”, Celestia said, “Now, why don't we show you to your rooms?”. Iori's ears twitched as they left. Rooms? Did Celestia honestly believe he would become chummy with those five ponies?! Iori laughed to himself. 'She has lost her mind', he thought with a smile. _______________________ Dinner. As usual, it had begun when the moon rose over the horizon. Iori knew the routine, but he hadn't expected to see those five ponies gathered around the long table, even though he knew they would now be staying at the castle for the time being. “Hey! Yagami! You can come sit beside me!”, shouted Rainbow Dash as she patted the empty seat beside her. Iori merely looked away. As he approached the table he had realized something. The only available seat was beside the annoyingly colored Rainbow Dash. He felt his anger building, but quickly closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he moved to the seat beside Rainbow Dash and sat down. “So Celestia says you're a human”, the cyan mare exclaimed. Iori looked to the other ponies. All eyes were on him as if they were expecting him to answer. He sighed and nodded. Rarity rose a brow. “So, where did you come from?”, she asked. “Japan”, Iori simply stated. Rarity furrowed his brows at the simple answer, “Oh, really? And where is that?”. Iori shot her an annoyed death glare, but Rarity was unaffected. Just then, the pink one who went by Pinkie Pie, was infront of Iori and sitting on his plate as she pushed her face nearer to his. “Hey! Do you like parties?! I bet you do! We'll have a party when you come to Ponyville! A WELCOME PARTY JUST FOR YOU!”. Iori was vastly unamused. He looked down to his plate then back to Pinkie Pie. It was then she realized where she was, “Oh”, she blushed, “Oops!”, she said before bouncing back to her seat. “Again, sorry 'bout that”, Applejack said with a sincere tone. Iori couldn't place it, but he felt that he could trust this mare with his life. He quickly pushed that thought out of his head and focused on replying vaguely. He grunted in response. “Pinkie means well. Honest!”, she said. Iori was not convinced and quickly turned away to avoid any further conversations, but realized he was now rather close to Rainbow Dash. “Uhh...”, the cyan mare blushed and turned away. Iori furrowed his brows and decided to focus his attention on his plate. “Oooooo”, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and even Fluttershy said in unison.... Fluttershy. Iori looked up to see her quickly turn away. Shy. 'She lives up to her name', he thought to himself. “Shut up! I was scratching under my wing!”, Rainbow Dash shouted to her friends with a visible blush. Iori knew what it meant. She was genuinely angry. His smile was barely visible. Iori knew what it was like to be angry as he was angry at something almost everyday. Rainbow Dash looked down to see Iori smiling up at her. “Y-you're not helping!”, she yelled. Iori laughed. _______________________ Dinner had gone off without any big problems. Iori noticed that he had laughed a good bit during dinner, but he quickly shrugged and pushed that thought away. He was now in his room on the balcony, but he was no longer looking to the ground; Rather, he was looking towards the moon. It was a crescent moon tonight. Iori smirked as he silently recited his favorite phrase, “Remember me when you look at the moon”. _______________________ Kyo Kusanagi paused for a moment in his last minute training. He had gotten Chizuru's message and was preparing himself for another fight. Just then, he had thought he heard a voice. He looked up to see the crescent moon shining over the city. He smirked as he punched the wooden post, “Of course. How could I forget”.
