Jump to content

Yu-Gi-Oh! [VR]


lce

Recommended Posts

Vibrant Resurrection

 

Greetings. You must have thought, when you clicked the title, that this would be about a virtual reality of sorts or whatever.

 

It is not.

 

What this IS about, is the narration of the events happening in the world of Yugioh. The struggles between all those in this reality, and their fight for survival; all this knowing they could be erased any time, if they are ever too good at their job...

 

This is the path which leads to a Vibrant Resurrection.

 

[spoiler="Prologue – Wars of the Worse"]

 

Before the Cataclysm, there was only chaos.

 

It was not the moral Chaos, that which pushes light and darkness through a circular struggle. This was an imbalance. Nature had been stirred. The world shook with every mighty stomp from every burning, freezing, ethereal or rock-solid limb that pressed against it. The sky was painted in all sorts of blinding colours, spells cast by the overwhelming Cult of the Prophecy.  The most powerful of Spells floated as a great, defiant crest against the Rulers of the Elements.

 

But the magic and the bombings of the two mightiest races could not by themselves cause the anger and destruction which had been wrought upon this land. Below the mightiest battles, raging between practical demigods; fire and water clashed over and below the surface of the world. A race of martial artists and conquerors–The Brotherhood of the Fire Fist, they called themselves–using their powerful martial art skills and powerful combinations, opposed two deep-sea species of underwater warmongers: The Mermails, and the Atlanteans.

 

For almost two hundred days and nights, these four races alone could take pride in calling themselves inhabitants of their world. For you see, any and everyone else… they could do nothing, but cower in fear and seek refuge. A few were valiant enough to stand up to the viler powers: but it was no use, no matter their brilliant military prowess or sheer strength; nobody could stand up to them, and live to tell the tale.

 

Until one day, the Grand Spring –the source of the atrocities destroying the world and of every other species that had come before them – was about to give birth again. And so from the infinite void came those who could stand up to them. An ethereal Dragon, and its many winged companions –the Harpie Ladies – were a force to be reckoned with. Their wind-like agility was unmatched by both the Cult’s Spells and the Dragon Rulers’ might alike. Their strength could not be contested by the Land-dwelling Brotherhood, or by either of the Water Empires. They were saviours, but they would soon need saving themselves.

 

Because the Day of Judgment was approaching, as it did normally, two times every sweep.

And Genex Ally Birdman, at the steps of a crimson red pyramid, surrounded by thick fog and a brilliant, golden wind; hoped the Tablet would come as it always did, the harbinger of justice to those who destroyed the world as these races did. 

[/spoiler]

 

[spoiler="Arc 1 – Divided We Stand"]

[spoiler="Cycle 1 – Extinction"]

And just as the void saw that they be born, the light saw that they be slain.

300px-GenexAllyBirdmanHA04-EN-SR-1E.jpg

 

Birdman knew the time was close, as the Shrine’s first step was illuminated by the blinding light of their maker, even through the thick smog. This was the sign. The light was never powerful enough to penetrate in the Mist Valley’s deepest reaches, except on this day.

 

He was relieved, yes; but he was also frenetic with fear. He buzzed around the base of the pyramid; and flew rapidly to and from the top of the great monument. Sophia, the Annihilator and Creator, the Goddess of Beautiful Creation and Horrendous Destruction; that’s what the Mist Valley folklore spoke of.

 

Birdman never believed a word of it. If Sophia really had the powers to do any of what the Mist Valley said she could do, why could she not stop The Judgment?

 

Granted, he thought, I’ll never really understand it. But I don’t care. As long as the horrible catastrophe that the vowels of the Spring created can be eradicated, I don’t need to understand. I just want this world to be safe. Call it Sophia, call it lightning. In this day, as every time between sweeps, justice would be dealt.

 

Explosions and the loud noises of the elements could be heard in the distance. These were truly monsters. Ever since the Grand Spring had allowed the Dragon Rulers of the Elements to emerge, life had only grown worse and worse for everyone living in this hell of a world. When they began to breed… the real horror began. Their little offspring, spontaneously growing to immense sizes, made the race of conquerors that much deadlier.

 

Whether the Spring noticed this, or some cruel twist of fate caused it, the Rulers of the Elements’ appearance was not the end of the world’s problems. The Cult of Prophecy climbed out of the well of darkness around the same time as the Rulers.  They were not a match for them: The Rulers saw reinforcements climb out of the Spring as well. Were they Machines or were they Dragons –Birdman never knew. What he did know, and experienced, was the mass bombing they generated. Supremacy was indisputably with them.

 

Until the Spring acted up again. This time, no creatures came out of the dark well. This time, it was a bright crest. The Cult of Prophecy quickly understood what it did –it exponentially increased their magical capabilities. And they were quick to put it to good use. Even their weakest of casters could now stand up to not only the bomber Dragon-planes, but to the sheer numbers of the overwhelming Dragon Rulers. The Cult started recruiting powerful magi from existing schools of spellcraft, allowing them access to their powerful spellbooks in exchange for aid in their cause. Soon the battles raging in the sky were all the more magnificent. And all the more terrifying. They were no longer simply inhabitants of the world… They were more than that. They were bound to wipe each other, and everything else with them.

 

Meanwhile activity down to the ground became just as overwhelming. The Brotherhood dominated the land, with might capable of fighting off Zombie hordes and all the efforts of the Hunder Royal Family.

 

In the deepest reaches of the ocean, the Mermail Empire and the Atlantean citizens joined forces. With their superior military, the Atlanteans were able to maximize the Mermail leaders’ efficiency and proficiency in battle. Soon they were unstoppable.

 

And so water and fire clashed.

 

The Harpies did everything in their power, but Birdman knew they could not hold this world together. And even if they did… would they not be the next to the throne of supremacy, instead of the Dragon Rulers or the Cult? Birdman didn’t want to think about it. And it didn’t matter. The day was here.

 

Sure enough, not three minutes after the sun first hit the first step of the huge shrine, all sunlight was gone from the base of the pyramid. The unmistakable sound of the lightning of Judgment was approaching. There was not much time left, and Birdman was glad.

 

Looking up, he saw a black bird’s silhouette circling the shrine. He recognized the spear that clung to one of its appendages, and so he knew it meant no harm. The Blackwings were a peaceful tribe… ever since Judgment lightning took their greatest tactical asset from them. Just like it happened to Shi En and his Samurai, their time had long come and passed.

 

A familiar noise was heard once more, even when muffled by the now stronger lightning. Birdman chuckled inside, this must be the first time any of the four chaotic tribes ever saw the Day of Judgment. What a show, he thought, as he still shivered at the ominous sight. The tablet finally fell, and Birdman approached it at full throttle, lost between hope, excitement and fear.

 

The list was long. Many names were carved on the tablet. There were four segments on the stone tablet. Birdman started reading the first one –the one which announced those the lightning would strike down immediately, and permanently.  The Dragon Ruler hatchlings, the Cult of Prophecy’s power crest. That was all, but it was more than enough. His kin would be safe from them now, and he was ecstatic. His grin only widened as he read that the deadliest style of the Brotherhood fighters –the Rooster technique – would be hunted down one by one by Judgment, until only one remained.

 

Even the high commanders of the Merlantean alliance, the Abyssteus; the Judgment was about to hand the justice which needed to be handed.

 

In his joy, he almost failed to notice his own species right below the Abyssteus.

 

Almost.

 

Fear took over him instantly, but it did not last long. He knew that everybody he had ever known would soon be in the same place he would go to. Maybe Sophia is real after all, he murmured quietly as he hovered to the ground and knelt, awaiting the final flash of light before his life was over.

 

But it did not come. Instead, the crashing sound that the Tabled had made came again. Birdman jumped up into the air and hovered, scared and panicked. He flew around the tabled and, sure enough… another tablet stood right next to the first one, atop the shrine.

 

The lightning was deafening now, but it was not yet striking down. Birdman did note, however, that no sounds of the raging combat heard earlier were reaching him anymore. He floated towards the other tablet, and read it in disbelief. Stratos… A Number, as well. If what this tablet was to be regarded as accurate… innocents would be slaughtered.

 

What did this second tablet mean?  Had the Judgment changed its mind right before it happened? Could that even happen? Which one was the right one? Then the thought hit him, and he read this second tablet: It didn’t matter to him, his kind was written in both of them. A half-dead chuckle escaped its metallic beak, everything was over now. His life was over, until Judgment decided it was time to let him live again.

 

He thought, as he lay down in despair, about the one of his species who would be left to roam the vast world, all by himself. What a lonesome experience that must be. I would… I would kill myself, even if I was the only one left. They might as well wipe us all, why must one bear the burden of an entire race?

 

He closed his eyes, as it was over. The lightning started zapping around. The Wind of the Valley itself was stopping, disappearing. Cries of agony left the skies and the oceans and the land. Mass extinction, which he had always thought of as justice, now looked like a cruel yet merciful end to meet.

 

And then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

 

And Birdman took only a small second to realize, as he got up and stood on his small legs; that he was now alone.

 

But before he had the time to sulk, he noticed something else. The other half of the shrine, the one which the first tablet had fallen to, was now nowhere to be seen. Instead, he looked down. The shrine and the valley itself… no, even the sky was torn in half. Like… half of the world was missing.

[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Cycle 2 – Rebirth"]

Yet, as chaos subsides… time is frozen still.

TsukuyomiSD6-EN-C-1E.jpg

Just as he predicted, panic was setting in throughout the many Towers of the so-called Legion. What a joke, Tsukuyomi thought. They were like children to this world, so young and proud… how fitting, that they cry when their toy is taken from their hands.

 

And yet he knew this meant trouble for those like him. As the only one of his kind left, he had been recruited by this congregation of the Prophecy magicians. But as the only left of his kind, he also knew that the position of power they were enjoying so much would not last long –it clung to a single hinge, and ever since the dawn of his existence, he and his brothers had seen many a superpower crumble under the pressure of their own mightiest strength collapsing.

 

Once their unlimited power source was broken to smithereens by lightning, though; their kindness to the older schools of magic could not possibly last long. They only enjoyed our loyalty because they could afford to lend us their power. But now? They have no way to ensure the spellcasters’ trust or loyalty anymore.

 

Tsukuyomi knew that, as a sole survivor of an entire species, he would be kept close… if he was not to be executed altogether.

 

But he would not let that happen. He had spent too long in the unexistence to prefer captivity over solitude. Tsukuyomi could already hear the mighty steps of the Prophecy lion soldiers climbing the stairs to the top of the tower, where he resided.

 

“So predictable,” he chuckled as two Wheels of Prophecy stepped forth into his room. They were big bodies, sure. But they were not even carrying their signature shields. Tsukuyomi showed nothing, but he was startled. They hadn’t been sent here officially. They were most likely there to kill him. And that would not do.

 

Tsukuyomi took a few, falsely scared steps towards the window behind him; and gesturing with his empty hand he pointed the mirror in the other towards the cocky war lions. It was a big mistake to look into that mirror, but it’s not like they could help it.

 

They were both frozen solid: they would be stuck still for a while. An hour at most, but that was much more than Tsukuyomi actually needed. He confidently walked up to them now, and pushed them down the stairs they had just come up through. They wouldn’t feel it for a while, but then it would hurt a lot.

 

Now, to get out of here.

 

His choices weren’t many, but he was not pressed for time; he could take his time to pick. In the end, he decided he would take the big finish. He walked towards the balcony atop the Grand Spellbook Tower of this region: there was one every few thousand miles; and since they could be built with magic, most of them were empty obelisks, signs of dominance towards the lower tribes. This one was not, however. Because he stood in it.

 

But that was about over.

 

Tsukuyomi tucked away his mirror in one of his coat’s many hidden compartments, and then stood on the railing of the balcony. Wind swept across his face from the dark storm brewing above. Lightning was still striking, but it meant nothing to him.

 

Below; the miserable, average folk looked up. Some in fear, some in sheer excitement – they did not often witness the suicide of a great Spellcaster. Poor fools, he thought; you are all too young to know me or my kind. Now –he stretched his arms wide to his sides as he spoke in his own head – enjoy the show.

 

Tsukuyomi jumped. There were gasps, some looked away. But most of them followed his fall expectantly, with burning interest. Death, why was it so attractive to these Prophecy beings?

 

Too bad, they won’t be seeing any of it today. Three… two… one…

 

As he sped towards the hard ground below, the demigod closed his eyes and smiled. A split second away from certain death, he let his… second nature take precedence. It was always a bit unsettling to change into this phase, but he was long used to it.

 

Unscratched, and much to the horror of those who were now surrounding the spot where Tsukuyomi’s body might be laying, the Moon incarnate phased through the ground and onto his feet.

 

“As much as I would love to stay and answer your questions, people of Prophecy,” Tsukuyomi said in a dry tone, concealing as much self-love as possible; “I must leave. I have business elsewhere.”

With that, he drew four books hidden away by his robes. Putting three to the ground, he put one of his feet on the neat pile and opened the fourth one. Everyone around Tsukuyomi recognized it –they were quick to back away, knowing what it did. Tsukuyomi shot a few glances and then looked down at his book. Well, it was his now.

 

“Goethe.”

 

The book lit up instantly and its pages started to flip one after the other, until it was closed and showing its backside to Tsukuyomi. The three books under his foot burned to a crisp in a flash of fire, immediately after which a circle expanded on the ground from his person. His body shone in a bright green light, and the people watched in horror at the way this nutcase was taking his own life.

Wrong, yet again, he thought.

 

He chuckled at the irony, as his body manifested in the meadow he now stood on. The Prophecy high order never taught their people what the spells actually did. They simply lied to them, to keep them from using them themselves.

He looked around. No Towers in sight. No Dragon Rulers either. This was surprising: even after Judgment, he didn’t think their entire SPECIES would be eradicated, but… was it?

 

“What was?”

 

Tsukuyomi jumped up with a scare. That was his own voice in his head, he was sure of it. But, at the same time… it sounded… deeper? More relaxed. Just what was it?

 

“What is he talking about?”

 

The voice was a bit clearer now, but he still decided not to try and answered. It seemed to talk to… something else.

“He probably talks about us, brothers.”

 

“He must not have heard of us yet.”

 

“Then let us tell him of us!”

 

“WHAT THE SHIT IS GOING ON?!” Tsukuyomi cried, on his knees, grabbing his head as voices so strangely similar to his own, yet different on their own right, flooded his head. His voice of pain was answered by a hand on his shoulder. In a quick reflex, he looked back –and he saw himself.

 

“Have you forgotten you can block your mind out to your own kin, brother? It will get hard to think your own thoughts if you can hear all of ours at the same time…” This version of him stretched an arm to his side, Tsukuyomi looking behind it. His eyes widened, as he sat in disbelief.

 

Around eight more avatars of the moon, dressed just like him. He could not comprehend at first… but then it came to him.

His name must have been on the Tablet. His species –it was back. He shed tears… but he did not understand them. He did not feel happy.

 

I saw my species die during those darker times, and I with it. I know why. We were powerful. A threat. We could not be left to live, with the danger our existence presented. But now… we are what we used to be, again. Harmless. Waves in the ocean. The Judgment has deemed us –me– unworthy.

 

The others were staring at him. He realized quickly, he had not blocked his mind as he was just told. They had all heard his thoughts just as he thought them.

 

There was no time to explain himself. Some of them were already flashing their mirrors, trying to make him, in a moment of distraction, look at them. But he had a better trick up his sleeve. He took a crimson red book from within his garments. He stood in a pose, then flipped the book open. “Hygro.”

 

A red circle surrounded him this time, and a burst of flames spread from it. It struck each of the copycats around him. They could not take it, they were not used to magic this powerful. They burned, until they were nothing but piles of ash.

 

Once again, Tsukuyomi was overwhelmed by an emotion he could not understand, and knelt. His tears were there again. But this time, he finally understood. He was crying for the ones he just killed, because he knew he would thus kill again. He shed tears at how the book he had just been holding changed, becoming a white book, with a blue gem in its front. Picking it up, he opened it and triggered it.

 

“Alma.”

 

With a flash of white light, three books floated in front of him. He took the black one which stood in between the other two. The Spellbook of Life.

 

He was about to use it, without a second thought. But a cold wind blew and sent a chill down his spine. Tsukuyomi looked down to cast the spell, but froze with terror once again. The book, and a strip of the grass surrounding it… they were covered in ice.

 

A mighty bellow reached him.

[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Cycle 3 – Cold Heart"]

Half of the world is to be encased in ice, and stopping it is not an option.

TsukuyomiSD6-EN-C-1E.jpg

At first Tsukuyomi feared for the worst. There were not many creatures which could produce a perfect line of ice like the one he saw on the grass by his side. He thought about the mighty Ice Dragons the magicians invited by the Prophecy’s Casters spoke of sometimes. He had seen records of them: two of the three had been destroyed by Judgment already. For a frightening moment, he thought he might be facing the revived Brionac; or even worse, Trishula. But he did not let his hasty judgment get the better of him, and he stood up in a defensive stance.

 

A thick fog had settled around Tsukuyomi, as quickly as he looked down at the Spellbook: thin enough to see the corpses before the man, but thick enough to prevent him from seeing the creature which emitted the powerful sound. As a reflex, he snatched the mirror from his inner grab and pointed it forward. He had no idea whether his enemy was in fact in front of him, but the ice burst had been localized enough to know it came from either right in front of him, or… behind him. Again his mind drifted dangerously towards thinking about what he might be facing.

 

He had studied them in his solitary days. Brionac was the youngest of the three. It was not as powerful as its older siblings, and it was the first dragon to be released by the Ice Barrier tribe, a long time ago. It would release beams of ice from its mouth, in short bursts. The degree of freezing was not enough to actually kill a target, but its deadliness was no less than the others’. The dangers in Brionac’s breath were two. The most obvious to anyone facing or studying it would be the repetition of the breath weapon’s short bursts. Given enough time, Brionac could freeze entire grasslands –much like the one he and his dead replicas now lay. The other –a lot more subtle, yet infinitely more dangerous –was the Dragon’s ability to reactivate unused or burned off artifacts, or sometimes, even magic. Brionac was easily leashed and controlled: its will was weak and it was still much too young to understand the world around it to know better. As a direct result, its controller had full access to old assets which would have otherwise been useless. All Brionac required for this power to activate, was feeding it with something imbued with magic or otherwise powerful … or a life. But Judgment had annihilated it. Plus, Brionac was not the kind to come up with tactics such as this fog –it would have rushed straight for the kill. This was not Brionac.

 

The second sibling, Gungnir. More battle-worn, experienced, and cunning. His body sturdier than Brionac’s, he was better suited for open combat than surgical strikes. But unlike the younger sibling’s constructive capacities, Gungnir’s power had only one purpose –destruction. It wielded a double breath weapon; capable of firing a much deadlier ice than the smaller dragon’s, lethal with a single shot; and an equally powerful fire weapon, able to scorch its opponent –or as it probably saw, prey – until it was reduced to barely edible scraps of flesh. It was also controllable, but right after Judgment… it was possible that Gungnir was let off its leash by mistake. It was the only one of the three siblings who had not been eradicated forever by Judgment. His breath weapon was less versatile, but required the same “ammunition.” It fires twice.

 

The second shot had not been fired yet.

 

Tsukuyomi was quick to react by retracting to Spirit form. While in this state, he was no different from the Book the first shot had frozen: just air imbued with life essence. But the fire could not burn that away… could it? Tsukuyomi feared, but he waited.

 

Then, from behind him; the grass beneath his feet and all around him froze into ice. No fire. This was not Gungnir. It was not Brionac either, he realized as the grass shattered with the wind. Brionac’s ice did not take life away.

 

Tsukuyomi turned around with haste, and to his shock and terror, the fog behind him was gone. Instead, he could hear a loud flap of wings he could not hear before. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The Gungnir he had read about did not have the wing size to make such potent sound. This was not Gungnir. Three heads looked down at the ethereal body of Tsukuyomi. His breath quickened. His heart flat out raced.

 

This was Trishula.

 

It made sense, he immediately realized. The book had been in my hands, it was in my possession, and it contained magic energy. If I had been in Spirit form, it would have been me. The Grassland, it was the middle head’s doing. It has the most destructive capability, able to freeze an entire landscape like this. Then there was the third head, which attacked… what did it attack? …Oh. The soul.

 

Spirit.

 

Had Tsukuyomi been a single moment slower at reverting to his physical form, the minuscule needle of ice which pierced him could have sucked him up like a vacuum before hitting the frozen, dead ground below. The last head’s attack was meant to destroy spirit. And he could picture in his mind, how the memory of a dead one, in his mind, was no longer there. He could not remember whom he was forgetting, obviously; but he knew it was missing information. Still, he let out a sigh of relief. Its three mouths had fired their breath weapons; he had avoided all of them.

 

Then he tensed up. What was he thinking –this was a huge ice dragon. It could tear him apart.

“A skillful one you are,” roared a chilling voice, which Tsukuyomi quickly noticed had come from Trishula, and had not only matched, but surpassed the sound of its flapping wings. But its heads had not moved, none of its mouths had opened. It had not spoken: it –no, he – had spoken into his mind. “What is your name, Spirit?”

 

Words were hard to shape, in presence of a being of this power. “T-Tsukuyomi. I … was not aware you could, well, speak.”

 

“I cannot, as you may have seen just now, if your eyes are sharp enough.” The voice he now heard had a tone mockery to it. “I see you have a skill in battle, but not so much in the brains department. You did the same with your brethren you just killed –you did, did you not? – In talking to them, did you not? This is normally an ability limited to you Spirit kin, but the Ice Barrier knew the secrets, and I learned them.”

 

Tsukuyomi was baffled; this Dragon was not only the mightiest of the Ice Barrier siblings. He was the most intelligent, too. This was not in the books the magicians had gathered through the years, but Tsukuyomi understood it clearly: Trishula had learned everything the Ice Barriers had to teach, without ever letting them know. Tsukuyomi spoke again, with more fear than curiosity now. “So the Medium you and your brothers always used… that woman, she was never really useful to you?”

 

“Oh, of course she was,” laughed Trishula. “She was the perfect cover for me and Gungnir. Not for Brionac, however. As you should know, my youngest of brothers is but a hatchling.”

He doesn’t know, this dragon. That Brionac was struck by oblivion the same way he was.

Tsukuyomi realized, with a terrifying look showing on his face, that Trishula could read his mind.

 

The powerful dragon stared, at first. In disbelief. Then it bent its powerful wings and landed, the shock of which threw the moon avatar to the ground. It stared down at Tsukuyomi now, its heads each looming over him. The sense of dread intensified. This dragon is easily the most powerful being alive; it could kill me if I ever so much as annoyed it. And I just brought it really terrible news. I need to get away.

 

“No, you are not getting away. Not until you tell me why. WHY has this world deemed a blessing such as my youngest brother, a FORCE OF SUCH MAGINIFICENCE AND GOOD, to be deserving of the ultimate penalty? I was a force of utter destruction, so it was the natural course of existence. But my brother? Why – WHY? ANSWER ME, YOU FILTHY LOW CREATURE!

 

Block your thoughts, block your thoughts. You must not hear its loud voice anymore; you must not before you can even think about what happened to Brionac. Not a single sound… he had managed to block him off. Brionac had been enslaved so, his gifts had been used as a military resource. He was as dangerous as Trishula, if not more –except the sky did not care about potential. It just cared about this world.

 

Another undeniably noble roar. “My brother… a slave. My brother, a mere hatchling, WAS DESTROYED BECAUSE OF THE SELFISH MINDS OF THIS LOWLY WORLD?

He had heard. He was dead.

 

“Of course I could hear you. Did you really think your weak make-believe mental blocks could stop my mind of all things? And, yes, of course you are dead. I do not even need to kill you myself. Do you not realize? I am back. This should be sign enough to tell you something is wrong. Something very dangerous is going on, can you tell?”

 

Under the utter fear he felt, he could hardly interpret what words were flooding his mind. Tsukuyomi shook his head slightly, his eyes focused on the Dragon’s.

 

“I am not surprised. Well, consider this a last wish before I take your life.” The dragon straightened, no longer inches away from his own face. It assumed a certain stance, which reflected nothing but pride. “The world has been spit in two. A dark veil, bordering this very land you, well, used to stand on, has cut off everything West of the Mist Valley. Judgment cares too much about this world to just, destroy half of it. It must simply be divided. And, as you see, I am free to roam this land as I please. This half of the world now belongs to me. And you have been the first to witness my VENGANCE AGAINST IT! I will freeze it all, and it shall feel my pain. Judgment has given me this opportunity for retribution, and I will see to its completion!”

 

The three humongous heads swung back, and Tsukuyomi knew the next time he saw them would be the last. Maybe it was a reflex, hiding his face behind the mirror he held. But it saved his life.

 

Trishula was frozen in place. The man lowered the mirror to see the dragon’s three heads, frenetic trying to break free from the all-encompassing magic the mirror held. Tsukuyomi breathed out relieved.

 

Then, as the dragon’s voice rasped on, he tensed again. “DAMN THIS LOW FILTH! HOW DARE IT MOCK ME TO THIS DEGREE!?” This meant it could not hear him. If he had any chance to escape, it was now.

 

He had three books left; he could not afford to use The Master and burn through them all. He only had one option. He had no idea how long the mirror’s effect would function on the most powerful creature he had ever met.

 

So Tsukuyomi ran.

 

He ran non-stop, using all of his strength; finally escaping the frozen reach of Trishula’s potent burst, crossing through  the fields, seeking refuge in the mountains.

 

He hid for days, hoping the great dragon would not find him. As he waited, he noticed the ice forming outside of the cave he hid in, which luckily did not get covered in it just as well.

 

[hr]

 

Tsukuyomi walked out of the cave –and without much surprise, noted that this frozen wasteland was now the most overwhelmingly powerful Ice Barrier Dragon’s domain.

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And as promised, here it is.

 

[spoiler="Cycle 2 – Rebirth"]

Yet, as chaos subsides… time is frozen still.

TsukuyomiSD6-EN-C-1E.jpg

Just as he predicted, panic was setting in throughout the many Towers of the so-called Legion. What a joke, Tsukuyomi thought. They were like children to this world, so young and proud… how fitting, that they cry when their toy is taken from their hands.

 

And yet he knew this meant trouble for those like him. As the only one of his kind left, he had been recruited by this congregation of the Prophecy magicians. But as the only left of his kind, he also knew that the position of power they were enjoying so much would not last long –it clung to a single hinge, and ever since the dawn of his existence, he and his brothers had seen many a superpower crumble under the pressure of their own mightiest strength collapsing.

 

Once their unlimited power source was broken to smithereens by lightning, though; their kindness to the older schools of magic could not possibly last long. They only enjoyed our loyalty because they could afford to lend us their power. But now? They have no way to ensure the spellcasters’ trust or loyalty anymore.

 

Tsukuyomi knew that, as a sole survivor of an entire species, he would be kept close… if he was not to be executed altogether.

 

But he would not let that happen. He had spent too long in the unexistence to prefer captivity over solitude. Tsukuyomi could already hear the mighty steps of the Prophecy lion soldiers climbing the stairs to the top of the tower, where he resided.

 

“So predictable,” he chuckled as two Wheels of Prophecy stepped forth into his room. They were big bodies, sure. But they were not even carrying their signature shields. Tsukuyomi showed nothing, but he was startled. They hadn’t been sent here officially. They were most likely there to kill him. And that would not do.

 

Tsukuyomi took a few, falsely scared steps towards the window behind him; and gesturing with his empty hand he pointed the mirror in the other towards the cocky war lions. It was a big mistake to look into that mirror, but it’s not like they could help it.

 

They were both frozen solid: they would be stuck still for a while. An hour at most, but that was much more than Tsukuyomi actually needed. He confidently walked up to them now, and pushed them down the stairs they had just come up through. They wouldn’t feel it for a while, but then it would hurt a lot.

 

Now, to get out of here.

 

His choices weren’t many, but he was not pressed for time; he could take his time to pick. In the end, he decided he would take the big finish. He walked towards the balcony atop the Grand Spellbook Tower of this region: there was one every few thousand miles; and since they could be built with magic, most of them were empty obelisks, signs of dominance towards the lower tribes. This one was not, however. Because he stood in it.

 

But that was about over.

 

Tsukuyomi tucked away his mirror in one of his coat’s many hidden compartments, and then stood on the railing of the balcony. Wind swept across his face from the dark storm brewing above. Lightning was still striking, but it meant nothing to him.

 

Below; the miserable, average folk looked up. Some in fear, some in sheer excitement – they did not often witness the suicide of a great Spellcaster. Poor fools, he thought; you are all too young to know me or my kind. Now –he stretched his arms wide to his sides as he spoke in his own head – enjoy the show.

 

Tsukuyomi jumped. There were gasps, some looked away. But most of them followed his fall expectantly, with burning interest. Death, why was it so attractive to these Prophecy beings?

 

Too bad, they won’t be seeing any of it today. Three… two… one…

 

As he sped towards the hard ground below, the demigod closed his eyes and smiled. A split second away from certain death, he let his… second nature take precedence. It was always a bit unsettling to change into this phase, but he was long used to it.

 

Unscratched, and much to the horror of those who were now surrounding the spot where Tsukuyomi’s body might be laying, the Moon incarnate phased through the ground and onto his feet.

 

“As much as I would love to stay and answer your questions, people of Prophecy,” Tsukuyomi said in a dry tone, concealing as much self-love as possible; “I must leave. I have business elsewhere.”

With that, he drew four books hidden away by his robes. Putting three to the ground, he put one of his feet on the neat pile and opened the fourth one. Everyone around Tsukuyomi recognized it –they were quick to back away, knowing what it did. Tsukuyomi shot a few glances and then looked down at his book. Well, it was his now.

 

“Goethe.”

 

The book lit up instantly and its pages started to flip one after the other, until it was closed and showing its backside to Tsukuyomi. The three books under his foot burned to a crisp in a flash of fire, immediately after which a circle expanded on the ground from his person. His body shone in a bright green light, and the people watched in horror at the way this nutcase was taking his own life.

Wrong, yet again, he thought.

 

He chuckled at the irony, as his body manifested in the meadow he now stood on. The Prophecy high order never taught their people what the spells actually did. They simply lied to them, to keep them from using them themselves.

He looked around. No Towers in sight. No Dragon Rulers either. This was surprising: even after Judgment, he didn’t think their entire SPECIES would be eradicated, but… was it?

 

“What was?”

 

Tsukuyomi jumped up with a scare. That was his own voice in his head, he was sure of it. But, at the same time… it sounded… deeper? More relaxed. Just what was it?

 

“What is he talking about?”

 

The voice was a bit clearer now, but he still decided not to try and answered. It seemed to talk to… something else.

“He probably talks about us, brothers.”

 

“He must not have heard of us yet.”

 

“Then let us tell him of us!”

 

“WHAT THE SHIT IS GOING ON?!” Tsukuyomi cried, on his knees, grabbing his head as voices so strangely similar to his own, yet different on their own right, flooded his head. His voice of pain was answered by a hand on his shoulder. In a quick reflex, he looked back –and he saw himself.

 

“Have you forgotten you can block your mind out to your own kin, brother? It will get hard to think your own thoughts if you can hear all of ours at the same time…” This version of him stretched an arm to his side, Tsukuyomi looking behind it. His eyes widened, as he sat in disbelief.

 

Around eight more avatars of the moon, dressed just like him. He could not comprehend at first… but then it came to him.

His name must have been on the Tablet. His species –it was back. He shed tears… but he did not understand them. He did not feel happy.

 

I saw my species die during those darker times, and I with it. I know why. We were powerful. A threat. We could not be left to live, with the danger our existence presented. But now… we are what we used to be, again. Harmless. Waves in the ocean. The Judgment has deemed us –me– unworthy.

 

The others were staring at him. He realized quickly, he had not blocked his mind as he was just told. They had all heard his thoughts just as he thought them.

 

There was no time to explain himself. Some of them were already flashing their mirrors, trying to make him, in a moment of distraction, look at them. But he had a better trick up his sleeve. He took a crimson red book from within his garments. He stood in a pose, then flipped the book open. “Hygro.”

 

A red circle surrounded him this time, and a burst of flames spread from it. It struck each of the copycats around him. They could not take it, they were not used to magic this powerful. They burned, until they were nothing but piles of ash.

 

Once again, Tsukuyomi was overwhelmed by an emotion he could not understand, and knelt. His tears were there again. But this time, he finally understood. He was crying for the ones he just killed, because he knew he would thus kill again. He shed tears at how the book he had just been holding changed, becoming a white book, with a blue gem in its front. Picking it up, he opened it and triggered it.

 

“Alma.”

 

With a flash of white light, three books floated in front of him. He took the black one which stood in between the other two. The Spellbook of Life.

 

He was about to use it, without a second thought. But a cold wind blew and sent a chill down his spine. Tsukuyomi looked down to cast the spell, but froze with terror once again. The book, and a strip of the grass surrounding it… they were covered in ice.

 

A mighty bellow reached him.

[/spoiler]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, I was in a writing mood this week. Three chapters is good enough for a start, I say.

 

[spoiler="Cycle 3 – Cold Heart"]

Half of the world is to be encased in ice, and stopping it is not an option.

TsukuyomiSD6-EN-C-1E.jpg

At first Tsukuyomi feared for the worst. There were not many creatures which could produce a perfect line of ice like the one he saw on the grass by his side. He thought about the mighty Ice Dragons the magicians invited by the Prophecy’s Casters spoke of sometimes. He had seen records of them: two of the three had been destroyed by Judgment already. For a frightening moment, he thought he might be facing the revived Brionac; or even worse, Trishula. But he did not let his hasty judgment get the better of him, and he stood up in a defensive stance.

 

A thick fog had settled around Tsukuyomi, as quickly as he looked down at the Spellbook: thin enough to see the corpses before the man, but thick enough to prevent him from seeing the creature which emitted the powerful sound. As a reflex, he snatched the mirror from his inner grab and pointed it forward. He had no idea whether his enemy was in fact in front of him, but the ice burst had been localized enough to know it came from either right in front of him, or… behind him. Again his mind drifted dangerously towards thinking about what he might be facing.

 

He had studied them in his solitary days. Brionac was the youngest of the three. It was not as powerful as its older siblings, and it was the first dragon to be released by the Ice Barrier tribe, a long time ago. It would release beams of ice from its mouth, in short bursts. The degree of freezing was not enough to actually kill a target, but its deadliness was no less than the others’. The dangers in Brionac’s breath were two. The most obvious to anyone facing or studying it would be the repetition of the breath weapon’s short bursts. Given enough time, Brionac could freeze entire grasslands –much like the one he and his dead replicas now lay. The other –a lot more subtle, yet infinitely more dangerous –was the Dragon’s ability to reactivate unused or burned off artifacts, or sometimes, even magic. Brionac was easily leashed and controlled: its will was weak and it was still much too young to understand the world around it to know better. As a direct result, its controller had full access to old assets which would have otherwise been useless. All Brionac required for this power to activate, was feeding it with something imbued with magic or otherwise powerful … or a life. But Judgment had annihilated it. Plus, Brionac was not the kind to come up with tactics such as this fog –it would have rushed straight for the kill. This was not Brionac.

 

The second sibling, Gungnir. More battle-worn, experienced, and cunning. His body sturdier than Brionac’s, he was better suited for open combat than surgical strikes. But unlike the younger sibling’s constructive capacities, Gungnir’s power had only one purpose –destruction. It wielded a double breath weapon; capable of firing a much deadlier ice than the smaller dragon’s, lethal with a single shot; and an equally powerful fire weapon, able to scorch its opponent –or as it probably saw, prey – until it was reduced to barely edible scraps of flesh. It was also controllable, but right after Judgment… it was possible that Gungnir was let off its leash by mistake. It was the only one of the three siblings who had not been eradicated forever by Judgment. His breath weapon was less versatile, but required the same “ammunition.” It fires twice.

 

The second shot had not been fired yet.

 

Tsukuyomi was quick to react by retracting to Spirit form. While in this state, he was no different from the Book the first shot had frozen: just air imbued with life essence. But the fire could not burn that away… could it? Tsukuyomi feared, but he waited.

 

Then, from behind him; the grass beneath his feet and all around him froze into ice. No fire. This was not Gungnir. It was not Brionac either, he realized as the grass shattered with the wind. Brionac’s ice did not take life away.

 

Tsukuyomi turned around with haste, and to his shock and terror, the fog behind him was gone. Instead, he could hear a loud flap of wings he could not hear before. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The Gungnir he had read about did not have the wing size to make such potent sound. This was not Gungnir. Three heads looked down at the ethereal body of Tsukuyomi. His breath quickened. His heart flat out raced.

 

This was Trishula.

 

It made sense, he immediately realized. The book had been in my hands, it was in my possession, and it contained magic energy. If I had been in Spirit form, it would have been me. The Grassland, it was the middle head’s doing. It has the most destructive capability, able to freeze an entire landscape like this. Then there was the third head, which attacked… what did it attack? …Oh. The soul.

 

Spirit.

 

Had Tsukuyomi been a single moment slower at reverting to his physical form, the minuscule needle of ice which pierced him could have sucked him up like a vacuum before hitting the frozen, dead ground below. The last head’s attack was meant to destroy spirit. And he could picture in his mind, how the memory of a dead one, in his mind, was no longer there. He could not remember whom he was forgetting, obviously; but he knew it was missing information. Still, he let out a sigh of relief. Its three mouths had fired their breath weapons; he had avoided all of them.

 

Then he tensed up. What was he thinking –this was a huge ice dragon. It could tear him apart.

“A skillful one you are,” roared a chilling voice, which Tsukuyomi quickly noticed had come from Trishula, and had not only matched, but surpassed the sound of its flapping wings. But its heads had not moved, none of its mouths had opened. It had not spoken: it –no, he – had spoken into his mind. “What is your name, Spirit?”

 

Words were hard to shape, in presence of a being of this power. “T-Tsukuyomi. I … was not aware you could, well, speak.”

 

“I cannot, as you may have seen just now, if your eyes are sharp enough.” The voice he now heard had a tone mockery to it. “I see you have a skill in battle, but not so much in the brains department. You did the same with your brethren you just killed –you did, did you not? – In talking to them, did you not? This is normally an ability limited to you Spirit kin, but the Ice Barrier knew the secrets, and I learned them.”

 

Tsukuyomi was baffled; this Dragon was not only the mightiest of the Ice Barrier siblings. He was the most intelligent, too. This was not in the books the magicians had gathered through the years, but Tsukuyomi understood it clearly: Trishula had learned everything the Ice Barriers had to teach, without ever letting them know. Tsukuyomi spoke again, with more fear than curiosity now. “So the Medium you and your brothers always used… that woman, she was never really useful to you?”

 

“Oh, of course she was,” laughed Trishula. “She was the perfect cover for me and Gungnir. Not for Brionac, however. As you should know, my youngest of brothers is but a hatchling.”

He doesn’t know, this dragon. That Brionac was struck by oblivion the same way he was.

Tsukuyomi realized, with a terrifying look showing on his face, that Trishula could read his mind.

 

The powerful dragon stared, at first. In disbelief. Then it bent its powerful wings and landed, the shock of which threw the moon avatar to the ground. It stared down at Tsukuyomi now, its heads each looming over him. The sense of dread intensified. This dragon is easily the most powerful being alive; it could kill me if I ever so much as annoyed it. And I just brought it really terrible news. I need to get away.

 

“No, you are not getting away. Not until you tell me why. WHY has this world deemed a blessing such as my youngest brother, a FORCE OF SUCH MAGINIFICENCE AND GOOD, to be deserving of the ultimate penalty? I was a force of utter destruction, so it was the natural course of existence. But my brother? Why – WHY? ANSWER ME, YOU FILTHY LOW CREATURE!

 

Block your thoughts, block your thoughts. You must not hear its loud voice anymore; you must not before you can even think about what happened to Brionac. Not a single sound… he had managed to block him off. Brionac had been enslaved so, his gifts had been used as a military resource. He was as dangerous as Trishula, if not more –except the sky did not care about potential. It just cared about this world.

 

Another undeniably noble roar. “My brother… a slave. My brother, a mere hatchling, WAS DESTROYED BECAUSE OF THE SELFISH MINDS OF THIS LOWLY WORLD?

He had heard. He was dead.

 

“Of course I could hear you. Did you really think your weak make-believe mental blocks could stop my mind of all things? And, yes, of course you are dead. I do not even need to kill you myself. Do you not realize? I am back. This should be sign enough to tell you something is wrong. Something very dangerous is going on, can you tell?”

 

Under the utter fear he felt, he could hardly interpret what words were flooding his mind. Tsukuyomi shook his head slightly, his eyes focused on the Dragon’s.

 

“I am not surprised. Well, consider this a last wish before I take your life.” The dragon straightened, no longer inches away from his own face. It assumed a certain stance, which reflected nothing but pride. “The world has been spit in two. A dark veil, bordering this very land you, well, used to stand on, has cut off everything West of the Mist Valley. Judgment cares too much about this world to just, destroy half of it. It must simply be divided. And, as you see, I am free to roam this land as I please. This half of the world now belongs to me. And you have been the first to witness my VENGANCE AGAINST IT! I will freeze it all, and it shall feel my pain. Judgment has given me this opportunity for retribution, and I will see to its completion!”

 

The three humongous heads swung back, and Tsukuyomi knew the next time he saw them would be the last. Maybe it was a reflex, hiding his face behind the mirror he held. But it saved his life.

 

Trishula was frozen in place. The man lowered the mirror to see the dragon’s three heads, frenetic trying to break free from the all-encompassing magic the mirror held. Tsukuyomi breathed out relieved.

 

Then, as the dragon’s voice rasped on, he tensed again. “DAMN THIS LOW FILTH! HOW DARE IT MOCK ME TO THIS DEGREE!?” This meant it could not hear him. If he had any chance to escape, it was now.

 

He had three books left; he could not afford to use The Master and burn through them all. He only had one option. He had no idea how long the mirror’s effect would function on the most powerful creature he had ever met.

 

So Tsukuyomi ran.

 

He ran non-stop, using all of his strength; finally escaping the frozen reach of Trishula’s potent burst, crossing through  the fields, seeking refuge in the mountains.

 

He hid for days, hoping the great dragon would not find him. As he waited, he noticed the ice forming outside of the cave he hid in, which luckily did not get covered in it just as well.

 

[hr]

 

Tsukuyomi walked out of the cave –and without much surprise, noted that this frozen wasteland was now the most overwhelmingly powerful Ice Barrier Dragon’s domain.

[/spoiler]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...