Recess [Power Shot]

[Dark WotS]

All who visited the Dome knew his name; this man who was blessed by the divine, whose soul was rent in two, who battled the greatest warriors and became unto a god. Some called him “legend”; others, “teacher”. Blitz had the honor of meeting him once, but that was ages ago while both were under the Ominae’s tutelage. Neither was quite so renowned then. It occurred to the fire innate not long ago that they never exchanged blows. Today, Blitz aimed to change that.

Blitz’ footsteps fell light, his stride strong. Excitement always made him anxious, and today he was very excited. Supernova clinked eagerly at his waist. Pine floorboards croaked under his feet as he ascended the short staircase. A squeak its greeting, the tavern door opened. Immediately, the smell of alcohol rushed Blitz’ nostrils. Jovial laughter and relaxed conversation speckled dirty, yet homey tables. Unpainted pine walls formed the tavern’s floor, walls and ceiling for a natural effect while a fan hummed coolly overhead.

No one stood out. Blitz scarcely remembered what his acquaintance looked like. But the man had a unique power, one that lent a quality unmistakable to those sensitive to it.

Four men sat at the counter, three of them side-by-side and another at the opposite end, sitting alone. He wore a long cloak and elven ears poked out from long, blond hair. He looked quite unlike an elf, though. Heightening his senses, Blitz knew this stranger was not his old classmate.

Two of the men glanced across their shoulders, looking directly at him. He would never make himself obvious like that, noted Blitz, ruling out those two. That leaves…

Grinning in anticipation, Blitz walked to the bar and took a seat next to the fourth man. He looked straight ahead and spoke softly.

“Hello…Kenjin.”

[Power Shot]

“Indeed.” The mystic had sensed him, of course. The mighty Blitz Keir was not someone who could flaunt anywhere he wanted without being noticed. Even the weakest of the pupils could feel the faintest strands of his power circulating around them. But Kenjin had to hand it to Blitz, it was difficult for people to track the mystic when he wasn’t trying to be found. Blitz took the seat next to him, but didn’t look at him. The mystic returned the gesture, and gazed ahead at some of the students in training. “You’re quite lucky, Blitz,” he said.

The flame lord raised his brow. “How so, Kenjin?” he inquired.

“I don’t often like being found,” he explained. “You must be getting significantly better, Blitz Keir, to sense me.” As he said this, the long blond hair that he had been hiding under faded, and the avatar’s head became covered with raven locks. The tall man surveyed the establishment. “I suppose you have come here to challenge me, haven’t you.” Kenjin took notice of the well-known Supernova strapped to the man’s side, and grinned. “I rather like the notion.”

“Really, Kenjin?” Blitz grinned. A nearby waiter arrived to take the flame lord’s order, but Blitz waved him away with his hand. “Shall we begin?”

The mystic shook his head. “I think not,” he replied. “Not here, anyway. I wouldn’t want to disrupt these fine gentlemen’s evenings. Besides-” He glanced to the barkeep. “I don’t want anyone to have to pay any damages. Shall we meet outside on the rooftop?”

Blitz liked the idea, for he nodded. “Five minutes?”

Kenjin stood up, and bowed slightly. “I’ll see you there. I should obtain proper protection from that famous sword of yours.” Throughout the entire exchange, both men had been very polite about their intentions, as if discussing plans for a golf game. Kenjin opened his eyes in the spirit of competition, and the dark pools glared into Blitz with the anticipation of an excellent battle. Kenjin departed from the small tavern, walked down the stairs, and made his way into the alleyway.

He whistled as he leapt over the wall, using his very powerful leg muscles, and landed on the roof as calmly as if he’d been skipping over a puddle. “I should get a weapon,” he decided, and glanced around the rooftop. There was little there, save for a doorway into the lower levels and a few boxes. He grinned, and held out his hand as he walked to the largest box on the top of the pile. Reality warped around it, transforming the wood into a sharp, but still wooden sword. He tested it, it was powerful. It would stand up against Blitz’s Supernova, until at least the flame lord did what he was so well-known for doing.

He heard another pair of footsteps. “Hello, Blitz,” he said, as his opponent drew near.

[Dark WotS]

OoC: I believe the phrase is: “We will, we will rock you.” Lez do this.

IC:

Blitz leapt and kicked off the tavern wall, sailing the alley’s breadth to land softly on the rooftop opposite Kenjin. The mage held a wooden sword which Blitz surmised had been spontaneously generated. He doesn’t honestly think… He grinned and chided himself. Don’t underestimate him.

“I thought we already did the greeting?”

“A formality,” replied Kenjin, turning to face the fire innate, makeshift blade held in a loose, lowered position unfit for combat.

Again, Blitz reminded himself not to let his guard down. He’d never gone longer without a fight in his life. Even as a Celestial, his skills were rusty, which was another reason he chose Kenjin. “Formality, huh?” The innate chuckled, then unsheathed Supernova and gripped its hilt firmly in both hands. “Then why don’t we let our swords do the talking?”

“Indeed,” Kenjin spoke, raising his sword with the faintest traces of a smile. The elemental’s haunches tensed for just a moment, and then he roared into the atmosphere. Blitz followed with a feebler leap, sending him safely beyond the rooftop, and then ignited an explosion that rocketed him skyward.

In moments, they were level. Blitz launched a mighty swing with Supernova, deflected by a glance from the mage’s misleading edge. A second blow, again repelled with such force that Blitz was flung back. Incredible… Without skipping a beat, Blitz hurled a sunbomb at his opponent, but Kenjin dodged with ease. Heh. Grinning, Blitz reversed the orb’s direction, but Kenjin had already moved to attack. Struggling to concentrate, Blitz rose Supernova, and their blades crashed thunderously. His excitement well-contained, Kenjin pressed harder, but Blitz only pressed back.

“Gotcha!” exclaimed Blitz as Kenjin very unexpectedly dove downward and, to his dismay, the fire innate collided with his sunbomb. The roar of flames enveloped him, booming in his ears but injuring only pride. Righting himself in midair, Blitz narrowly guarded a series of lightning-quick slashes. “Augh!” he cried, feeling the warmth of blood sliver down his arm. The wind rushed away while the ground ran forward.

The Wielder of the Sword landed awkwardly, the pavement clacking on his feet. A few moments later, his foe landed lightly a ways down the street. He almost seemed concerned. “This is…unexpected. Are you unwell?”

“I’m fine,” Blitz laughed. “Just a flesh wound. I haven’t had a good fight in a while, that’s all. Once I warm up…” No pun intended.

Kenjin readied his weapon as if to say, “Then let’s continue.”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Blitz felt elemental energies course around him. They flowed on unseen waves, ever-present and invisible. He called out and redness darted in to veil him obediently. Stretching his arms, Blitz savored the sensation, rejuvenated. He sighed, relaxing, then resumed his battle stance. If Kenjin were paying attention—which he undoubtedly was—he would see invisible flames swirling around the fire innate, waiting to be summoned into existence. “Alright… Let’s go.”

[Power Shot]

Kenjin, always the dramatic one, faded his avatar from existence. The giant, powerful body vanished into the darkness of the night. The air vibrated with the slight power that the mystic employed to rearrange the molecules of his form, and emerged right behind the flame lord. Blitz felt the air swoop, and ducked underneath the sword thrust right to the back of his neck. “Very nice,” Kenjin observed, and followed up with a sweeping kick, which forced his foe to leapt high into the air. Kenjin finished with an uppercut, which nailed Blitz right in the jaw and sent him down a block of buildings. “Sorry. Felt like tickling you.” Even though the mystic whispered, he could be heard from where Blitz had grounded himself.

“More like a butterfly’s fluttering wing,” Blitz replied. The two shared a brief chortle before they clashed, no longer a block away but mere inches apart from one another’s faces. The Supernova flared up, and Kenjin had to fade away again to avoid the burst. After all, the mystic wielded naught but a wooden sword, and Blitz the great Supernova. The difference was obvious, but so was the fun. Blitz remembered the fading trick from before, and swung his sword behind his back. Unfortunately, nothing was there, but Kenjin emerged into reality directly in front of Blitz and smacked him right in the kneecap. Blitz grunted with irritation, but swung the sword’s blunt edge right at Kenjin’s face. He could hear the grumbling, even as the mystic crashed through the door of a nearby shoe shop.

Kenjin groaned, as he disliked having his avatar smashed through wood and cement. He picked himself up, and surveyed his body. Multiple bruises, his right arm was sticking out like it had a broken bone, and his body was laced with slashes from the impacts, ranging from splinters to cuts. And, to top this all off, his clothing was ruined with dust. “Blitz, Blitz, Blitz,” he murmured, and looked to his opponent. “You’ve ruined my favorite set of clothes. My only set of clothes.” Now he would have to concentrate, and Blitz noticed that his skin was healing with a faint blue light, as were his clothes. He looked around, and curled his fingers around the wooden sword again.

Blitz grinned. “Sorry about your wardrobe malfunction,” he snickered.

[Dark WotS]

OoC: Themesong. Hehe.

IC:

Blitz knew Kenjin could heal himself—it was one of his original abilities as the Goddesses’ blessed one. It would be difficult to bring the mage down, especially since Blitz lacked such healing properties. Then again, Celestials could create matter from nothing. Shouldn’t I be able to heal? Yes, he should, but that would require practice. A Celestial’s infinite abilities were overwhelming to him due to his ascension’s suddenness. Kenjin, on the other hand, knew his abilities inside-out and could probably explain them on a molecular level.

“So I’m at a disadvantage, aren’t I?” said Blitz more to himself than Kenjin, smiling wider.

The mage’s expression was calm, though clearly smiling on the inside. “So it would seem.” He frowned at the ‘bop’ of a shoe landing on his head and brushed it aside.

“No problem. I love a challenge. Watch this!”

Supernova’s swath was too fast for even their eyes to track. A backlash of wind slammed against the ground, kicking up dust and shoes. Kenjin arched an eyebrow as the shockwave of debris swept toward him, completely obscuring the enemy in its wake. He easily danced aside and, for an encore, dealt a resolute slash to the wave, dispelling it instantly. “Come now, Wielder of the Sword, when will you start living up to your title?” But then his mouth fell open.

“I can do it, too,” came a whisper in his ear.

The wooden sword rose to guard, but instead of ringing blades, Kenjin heard a boot slam into his back, shoving him off balance. To the mage’s surprise, there was no follow-up, giving him time to whip around.

“Over here,” breathed another whisper.

Anticipating this, Kenjin folded away his avatar. From his unreachable vantage, he saw it: a dark-red shadow so faint that it hardly seemed there at all.

“I can see you, Kenjin!” Blitz heckled, tracking his opponent’s invisible movements with slightly-more-than-figurative eyes. Colored lights swirled around his body, in fact composing him. Experience alone allowed him to distinguish one cache of element from another, but Kenjin’s elemental composition was unmistakably dense, easily discernible from their surroundings. “Oh, and by the way…I hate being tickled.” Supernova’s tip arced ferociously several times, flinging a series of shockwaves in Kenjin’s direction.

[Power Shot]

Kenjin, always the show hog, was more than willing to cease his attack to put on a performance. Supernova’s shockwaves were quite difficult to avoid, especially at the speed they were moving at. But the mystic grinned, and dodged them all, graceful and eloquent. For the final shockwave, the mystic simply stood there, and allowed it to past right through his body by slightly phasing his avatar from the corporal world to the Core. Blitz was unfazed, possibly slightly bemused at the events, but pressed his attack in earnest. The flame-lord lunged with speeds that would make a cheetah seethe with envy, and struck the mystic hard with the Supernova. The wooden sword sprang up, and parried the Supernova’s sharp blade.

But Kenjin had to be careful. Gone were the days of his weapon-carrying days. His wooden sword, while quite entertaining to use, would last not a moment if the Supernova ignited. “Well, flame-lord,” said Kenjin courteously, “I suppose this would be the point in the battle where we turn things up a notch.” He grinned. “What do you say to that?”

Blitz chuckled. “Be my guest, Kenjin,” he replied.

“Good.” The well-kept Druid cloak began to elongate, its edges transforming into shadows. “Because my nightmares are so much more intriguing than your average daydream.” Blitz, about to pull away, found his was somehow unable to. Kenjin’s Druid cloak’s sleeves seemed to spread across both their hands like sticky ooze, and the bottom began curling around his legs. And, for some reason, Kenjin’s face was beginning to change. Blitz was startled to see his own face staring back at him, only it was molted and rotting, as if dead.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” Blitz asked drearily. “It doesn’t.”

“Not supposed to,” answered the molted face Kenjin had chosen to wear. “It’s just a distraction.” Then, the face’s eyes flashed open, Kenjin’s dark, soul-filled pupils freezing Blitz in his tracks. That was all it took, then the mystic simply vanished, trapping the flame-lord inside the nightmare. Blitz looked around, and saw all the buildings were melting under the influence of the mystic’s dark powers.

“Now let’s have fun…”

Blitz wheeled around. Where was Kenjin?

[Dark WotS]

Memories came flooding back. Drago’s demon once trapped the fire innate in its cage of torment, conjuring up visions of his stolen beloved, but he slew the beast from within with holy light. Restraining him to his mind and memories had not been a problem then. Okay…I’ve done this before. Should be a cinch.

Blitz glanced down at his weapon. “Alright, Kenjin, you get your wish.” The hilt ignited in white fire spreading along the blade. In a moment, the superheated rediron curved and lengthened into its katana counterpart, and then the flames dimmed, leaving a faint red glow.

The innate turned his attention to Kenjin’s nightmare. He realized one major difference between his current situation and Drago’s demon: this was Kenjin’s home turf. Overcoming the mage in his own dreamscape might prove challenging. Oh, well. He’s got to be centuries old. How much of an imagination can he have?

Suddenly, an army of undead crawled out of the ground around him. “Well…damn.” The fire innate and his sword swiftly went to work. This was only a test; a friendly bow before a match. Blitz knew that, but he was prepared for almost anything Kenjin might throw his way. Almost.

He and his flaming blade came to a stop, hundreds of charred, severed and decapitated corpses crumpling to the ground all at once. Blitz glared triumphantly at the twisted metallic-purple sky. “Is that all you got, Kenjin? And after all the legends I heard… Shame. I thought this might be fun.” He grinned in anticipation of his opponent’s reply.

[Power Shot]

“Really?” asked Kenjin. It took the flame-lord an instant to realize that the sound came from inside his own head, vibrating against his brain and skull. “I have always tried to entertain my guests.” A slash emerged from nowhere, cutting at a piece of Blitz’s armor and severing the chain mail quite easily. The dark mystic emerged from his nightmare world, his Druid cloak billowing in the wind. He raised his arm, covered in a guard. “Come then, sir.”

Blitz bowed his head lightly. Despite the fact that they were in Kenjin’s world now, the mystic was certain that his advantage was a slim one. The flame-lord rushed, the tip of Supernova erupting into a bright flare. Kenjin retaliated, summoning the spirit of his Light to battle. He channeled it into his gauntlet, and flashed the energy at Supernova. It would no way be able to stop the sword if Blitz chose to turn up the heat, but it was still early in the battle. The gauntlet and the sword clashed against each other, the ringing echoing through the nightmare realm.

“Well played,” murmured Kenjin, observing the stance of his foe. There was no error from where the mystic stood.

“Same to you,” Blitz replied with a grin. They did not move, and eyed one another in a staring match that, if it were anyone else, Kenjin would swear they would have crumbled by now. But, they were in his world, and the Light and the sword’s flames grew more and more intense. He needed to do something.

An instant later, where the chain mail had been only a minute before, the wooden sword smashed into Blitz’s chest, sending him flying into one of the many melting buildings that surrounded them. To Kenjin, it looked like a tickle had been administered to his foe, for Blitz allowed a chuckle to escape his lips at the rather intriguing trick. There were two bodies, one made from shadows and the avatar that was Kenjin’s mortal body. The former melted into shadows that vanished into the Druid cloak.

[Dark WotS]

OoC: Sorry for the delay. Life's a *****, though not as much as writer's block.

IC:

Blitz slumped from the concrete crater, careful to hide the crumpling of his knees on impact with the ground. Kenjin’s blow was nothing dire, but full-on collisions with a building taxed him. So there are two of them. Wonderful. He chuckled in amusement, rising to his feet.

A memory floated to the surface: Tokumaru, the Heavenflame Samurai; and his doppelganger, the Soryusen. Blitz ascended for the first time in that battle, but sheer skill—not power—had won over Soryusen, though the battle ultimately ended in a draw. Granted, Kenjin was far stronger than either of them back then. But Blitz was confident. He knew how to do this.

Pausing for a moment, the fire innate focused on his surroundings, drawing in the heat generated by boiling concrete and molten metal. The abundance surprised him, for adrenaline surged through his body with the energy. He grinned a bit, momentary weariness dissipating.

“Alright…”

A ‘whoosh’ sound echoed across the landscape, in its wake a wave of intense heat. Blitz’ body was etched in dancing flames swirling around his overcoat.

“Time to start taking this seriously.”

The Celestial’s feet seemed never to leave the ground. In the passage of a blink, he appeared mid-flight before the mystic just long enough to deal a crashing swath of his blade. For a brief moment, there was nothing but a thunderous noise, and then Kenjin was sent spiraling away, ricocheting off the ground and into another building. Debris shrouded his impact.

Clutching Supernova’s hilt with a grin of anticipation, Blitz stood his ground, eager to parry whatever unsuspected counterattack came his way. “I’d almost forgotten how much I love a good spar, Kenjin. Don’t hold back!”

[Power Shot]

Being used as a living pinball was never fun for Kenjin. Once, there had been a time when his body would heal regardless of what he wanted, and rejuvenate into a perfect shape. Now, his body was mangled, bruised, and Kenjin was fairly certain that his head was turned almost completely around. His spine was broken too, now that he thought about it. His mortal avatar was certainly about as flimsy as an average Hylian’s, if a bit more durable from the training he had undergone with it. “Oh this is not good,” he mumbled through shattered teeth. “And he’s coming for more…”

He reached out and, through the void of time and space, summoned the power of the Phoenix Tear’s shade. The immortal bird sang as it flew through the Core, healing the fractured body slowly, mending the bones and tissue into a perfectly working body again. Once completed, the mystic stood back up again and cracked his knuckles to make sure his body was working. The flame-lord was coming, sparks crackling from the embers that danced around him. They flickered at his coat, and the Supernova glowed softly. Blitz was holding back. The sole reason that Blitz hadn’t found him yet was because the mystic was suppressing his powers, negating his presence to practically nil. The flame-lord would sense the nearest cockroach before he sensed the clever mystic.

The sword Kenjin had been using for sport was gone, turned to only the finest ash that Blitz’s flames could provide. And Kenjin could no longer count on his old abilities over the elements to help him. Water was absent from the scene. Then, Kenjin remembered something quite useful, something that would be both fun and powerful. He silently thanked the Dark Eye for rekindling his interests in science. The mystic’s grin faded as his avatar vanished into thin air.

Blitz, who had been looking forward to fighting at his full potential, looked slightly disappointed at how the mystic he faced seemed perfectly comfortable with playing hide-and-seek with him. Again and again the flame-lord turned around, hoping that the flickering shadows of this nightmare world would lead him to his foe. “Come out!” shouted Blitz into the dark. “This isn’t like you, Kenjin! I know you love the sound of your own voice.”

“Quite right,” said something in front of him. Blitz had hardly the time to swing Supernova before the avatar was upon him. Using his arm gauntlet, Kenjin channeled the power of Light into his being, superheating the guard with a bright solar flare. No matter how powerful fire was, it could not match the power of a portable Sun. Kenjin flared up the bright light, then summoned the void of his Darkness to surround them. Blitz gaped in shock, his lungs ran dry around him, and his fire vanished abruptly.

“No matter where that wonderful fire of yours comes from, Blitz,” Kenjin murmured, “take away the oxygen, no more fire.” He brought up his right arm, grabbed Supernova’s blade, and smashed its blunt side into the chest of its owner before delivering a kick that sent Blitz reeling out of the void and into the nightmare once more, the mystic hot on his trail again.