Fit for a God 3 Shadow Version: Mano-a-Mana
By shadowlugia249
Author's Note: If you've read the other story, you should know that there are some incomplete facts and storylines in the Light Version. I intend to fill those in with this "second-half" story. Like the last one, this one will start out in third-person and go from there. Enjoy!
Aridos' Mythic Marvels had always been a kind of underground source for all things magical. It was secret and privately funded, but the owner, Karmen Aridos, had never cared about the money. He never cared about making a profit in his life. The only thing that mattered to him was manufacturing and acquiring items that made normal people's dreams come true.
But because of his lack of security, Aridos had been forced to close shop two years in a row because of "technicalities" with his customers and products going crazy on him. First, it was Alex Schaefer and Silver that had misunderstood their intentions and had destroyed his shop to get some well-deserved answers. That had been a complete misunderstanding and Aridos hadn't pressed charges at the time.
But one year later, there was a little mishap with a pair called "Skyle Kelvin" and "Vexx". The pair had intentionally destroyed his lab and made off with one of his most crucial spellbooks. This book had been the foundation of his business and without it, he had had some explaining to do to the Wizard Council. He had had a royal chewing handed to him and after six months of probation, he had been given a second chance with a newer, more updated spellbook and a warning. He had never heard from Skyle or Vexx again, but he knew that somewhere, his precious spellbook was being used to create his own evil creations.
But since it was out of his hands and he had had a new book issued to him, Aridos had gone about business as usual. So after the second rebuilding of his shop, Aridos was ready to try a new technique with his products that he had never known existed. It was known as (...) and according to countless hours of research, he was ready to give it a try for his new wave of bigger and better products.
But his first creation had turned out just like the last one had. He couldn't understand what he was doing wrong, but he had created even more of a monster than Vexx had been. And the essence he had used in this model had been so... diabolical that it scared him. But after a month of slaving over a hot cauldron, he could not safely remove the essence without causing his lab to explode. So he had locked it away in his back room so he could ship it off to the Wizard's Council to be destroyed properly. He figured that the sooner they arrived, the better. He was growing more anxious with every day they delayed picking it up.
Meanwhile, he had taken his previous experiences and honed them into the development of a newer, purer model. This one would be the (...) MK II – a "sister" model to his previous failure. He just hoped that it didn't turn out like its "brother" and go haywire on him. He had locked it away before it could be awakened and be used to turn against him.
Aridos ran a hand over his latest creation with satisfaction. He could not awaken it like this since he was its creator, but he was certain that someone very special would be coming in soon to buy this model. He had put his heart and soul into this creation, so he was hoping that someone out there would buy it. After all, its job was to keep the consumer happy and he didn't see why anyone would not be happy to see that face.
Rye Amaldo was trouble with a capital "R" just from looking at him. (Author's Note: That wasn't a typo – it was a quotation from "Ed, Edd n' Eddy") He looked, talked and thought just like a troublemaking punk would behave. He had no home, no family and no job, yet he still had a cache of apparently inexhaustible wealth. No, he did not rob banks – though he was more than capable of it – but he seemed to get money out of nowhere at every opportunity he could.
I guess I should elaborate on that. Ever since he had taken to the streets, Rye had been in contact with an unknown person who called himself "M". Rye had never seen this M, but M seemed to know exactly what he was doing at all times. No one in the street knew of anyone named M, yet Rye seemed to be the only one in contact with him.
M was like Rye's guardian angel. Whenever he would get in trouble with the cops and be on the run, M would somehow make it all go away. Whenever he ran out of money, M would call him on a personal cell phone that he had supplied him with to arrange a drop-off point of an envelope of unmarked, common bills. Whenever Rye was hungry, M would text him on his cell phone and arrange a reservation at a random restaurant. M had even arranged a place in the slums that Rye could call his home for each night. M was his life and Rye would be devastated if he were to lose contact with him.
But somewhere deep down, Rye was really pure of heart. He never got into drugs and never drank or got into fights intentionally. But no matter how difficult on the street he was, he would always manage to try to escape into his own little world.
Why? It all started with a dream he had started having ever since he had made contact with M.
Somewhere deep in Rye's subconscious, he would dream about a long-forgotten age filled with amazing, furred and feathered creatures he had never seen before. They were magical creatures and were certainly capable of almost anything.
But that was not the apex of his dream. It happened at the same time every night. A large, purple-furred creature would descend on the world and spread its power throughout the mythical creatures. It was like it was the lord of them or something and they were all bowing to its power.
But then he would wake up and it would make no sense in the waking world. Rye had once told M about this, but all he had gotten in return was a royal chewing about, "It'll happen when it happens! Stay out of it if you know what's good for you!"
After that, Rye hadn't brought up his dream to M in the slightest. He didn't want to anger his only means of support, no matter how unusual he was.
One day, M contacted Rye with a rather unusual request. He was to go to a place known as "Aridos' Mythic Marvels" and purchase an item known as the "Violet Flammie Suit". He had given him an address to go to to get an envelope of money to pay for the suit and then take it to a predetermined location where he would be filled in on the details later.
Rye had never gone on a mission like this, nor had he ever heard of this "Mythic Marvels" place. But his boss knew what was best, so he did not argue with him. He retrieved the money and went to the address where the suit was supposed to be.
It turned out to be a rather shady-looking shop that he probably would have overlooked if he had been passing by. There was no sign and the door was painted black with a simple lock on it. Whoever ran this place obviously didn't bother with modern security measures.
But before he could open the door, a voice barked over an intercom somewhere in the wall.
"Can I help you?"
"Uh... I'm here to pick up an order for a friend of mine, if it's fine with you."
"Are you over 18?"
"Say what?" Rye was confused. He had never been asked this to gain access to a store before.
"No one under 18 may come in here. Are you over 18?"
"Um... I'm 20, sir."
There was a brief moment of silence from the man on the other end, but finally, he seemed to believe him and the door buzzed as he unlocked it for him.
"Very well... Come on in!"
Rye was unsure just what he was getting himself into as he pushed the door open and he walked inside.
Before this, Aridos had been going about his normal business cleaning the ancient racks. It seemed that no matter how many times he cleaned or rebuilt the place, his magical wares always seemed to attract some kind of ancient filth. These products were his works of art and yet he could never seem to keep them clean. He had put his whole life into them and this was the respect he got for it?
Karmen Aridos wasn't one of those "Science vs. God" conspirators that were always arguing over which was the natural way. He was a person who was involved in something more... worthwhile. He was a person of magic. As far as he was concerned, magic was just one of the world's natural ways that had somehow dried up over time after the turn of the eras. After that, science had taken over and made people believe that there was always a reason why anything happened.
Feh and yuck! It made Aridos sick to think that people didn't believe in true magic anymore. It used to be just as common as dirt once upon a time, but then something happened that seemed to all but wipe magic from the face of the earth. And since it was now in limited supply, he had spent his life learning how to use it properly. Besides, he had always said, "Magic is the very essence on which dreams are made."
In his early years, Aridos had been fascinated at how magic had gone from super-popular down to just myth and rumor. It all centered around a species called the "Flammies".
Flammies were not dragons, but they were pretty darn close to them in power and ability. They had once been in control of the world, but they were not cold-hearted. They were actually in league with the humans before B.C. turned to A.D. They were a peaceful species that were as wise as the dragons of yore and able to control magic like a natural talent. What most people didn't know was that Flammies were magic. They were the very source of all magic. When they were abundant, magic was plentiful and many extraordinary things were accomplished during that time.
Not only that, but the humans looked up to Flammies. They were their guardians and caretakers when they were their most vulnerable. Humans would line up of months to be paired with a Flammie of their choice. They would care for each other like they were their equals and live as one. And if they were lucky, the Flammies would present their humans with a gift that was considered a blessing among blessings.
Unfortunately, Aridos never found out what that was. The scroll he had been reading had been burned at that particular spot and he never found out what the Flammies had done to humans that was such a big deal.
But all this was for naught. At the turn of the millennium, there was a war between the Flammies and the human and just like that, they vanished. No trace was ever found of them and the magic they had once instated had dried up. No one knew what happened to the Flammies and the term "magic" simply became a myth and a rumor. It was laughed at by those who had invented science and cast aside as complete nonsense.
But after years of research, Aridos had gathered enough data about Flammies to create a pair of (...) to give out to two lucky people in the world. Not only that, but his latest discovery was going to change the history of Flammies just as soon as he could...
But he was rambling on again. He had given up hope on them ever since the first one had gone haywire on him while he had put the other one up for sale. He had given up on his dream to make contact with the Flammies after the first one had failed miserably.
Just then, he heard a bell ring overhead, signaling that someone was at the door. He answered it, and after he questioned the man's age, he let him in.
Rye was used to the darkness, so the interior of the dimly-lit store did not bother him. He made his way casually through a dark hallway to a main room littered with racks and racks of...
"Costumes? M wants a costume? You've gotta be kidding me."
"These aren't just any costumes. These are my masterpieces!"
Rye nearly jumped out of his skin! An aged, hunchbacked, old man had appeared at his side as if he had always been there. He had never been one to freak out at sudden appearances, but this one nearly made him have a heart attack.
The old man was considerably shorter than Rye and his body was even more wrinkled than a bag of raisins. But when the man looked directly at him, Rye questions just how old he really was. His eyes were young and a piercing-green color, telling him that he was probably much younger than he looked.
"(expletive)!!! Watch it, old man! You may have them, but I don't need a heart attack!"
The old man simply glared at him and grumbled low. "You'd do well to keep the profanity and insults to a minimum in here. I have very sensitive material in here."
Rye sighed and walked away to examine the nearest rack. Sure enough, they were normal Halloween-style costumes, but they were figures that he had never seen before.
Before he could get a good look at them, the old man reappeared at his side and voiced what he was thinking. "These are just your average, everyday, dime-store Halloween costumes. These costumes are true masterpieces in detail and reality. They can be worn for all occasions and have been my life's work in effort. You would be amaze at how much effort I put into each of these costumes. They make your normal run-of-the-mill imitations seem like cheap rags."
"Oh... kay..." Rye was unsure what to make of this man. He had some serious issues if he thought that he would buy that malarkey. He may have thought that they were great, but Rye would be the judge of that!
The man looked at Rye and asked him an innocent question. "You said that you were picking up a costume for a friend? Did you happen to get his name?"
"Uh... I really don't know it. All I know him by is "M"."
"M? M... M... I don't recall that order. Did he tell you what he ordered?"
Rye had to consult his cell phone to figure that out. He had saved the text message and it was at the top of his list.
"It was something called a "Purple Flammie Suit". That's all I know."
The man suddenly looked like he had seen a ghost. Whatever M had ordered must have been a big deal for some reason. But he seemed to get his fear under control because he resumed his normal growl and lowered his head. "I'll have to check my stock. Wait here while I run to the back room." And with that, he shuffled off towards a door behind the counter.
"Creep," muttered Rye when he was out of earshot.
While he waited, Rye went to the various racks and examined the old man's wares. There were only four costumes to a rack and there was no indication as to a price. There were numerous different models that he took interest in.
One of them was a yellow fox-like creature with purple-satin sleeves called a "Renamon". Another one was a dragon-shaped one with unusual white-colored scales and white-feathered wings called "Shayna". Also, a strange bird/fire bird hybrid called a "Blaziken" that Rye had never heard of before.
But the one that caught Rye's attention the most was a blue-black Anubis-like costume that was labeled "Lucario – Lord of the Dead Revamped (?)" He couldn't look anymore. He had to see what it felt like. But when he picked it up, he nearly had a heart attack from shock.
The costume was unusually heavy and it felt so... real! The "ears" of the Lucario costume felt as if they were filled with real flesh and fur. The fur was extremely fine and well-made. It wasn't as long as a dog's, but it had a definite fineness to it. It was like he was feeling the fur of an actual jackal! And when he looked at it in the eyes, he was startled at the realism of the pupils that were looking back at him. They appeared to be staring a hole straight through him! It scared him slightly and he quickly put it back.
Now officially freaked out, Rye went to the counter to wait for the old man. He couldn't shake the feeling of dozens of eyes looking at him from the costumes, but he knew that they were all fake. Still, he hoped that M would reward him well for dealing with this freak show.
Meanwhile, Aridos had closed the door behind him and took a few deep breaths. He had no idea who this "M" was, but if he knew about his Purple Flammie costume, there was something higher up at work here. He had already dealt with another Flammie costume that had been so obsessed with merging with another of his customers (Author's Note: Read "F4G Light Version" for details), but he had a feeling that if he were to give the costume to M, bad things were going to happen. He hadn't yet disposed of the costume, but he didn't want to disappoint someone who was looking for it. He had no choice but to try once again to purify the costume to see if he could get it to be suitable for purchase.
As he looked up at the violet costume, he ran a hand down its fine, silky fur. This monstrosity had been the result of his inexperience, but he hoped that it would not be a hopeless cause. It was definitely worth a try. He had been shocked when he had realized that he had infused the other costume with a real Flammie soul. Could this one have a Flammie soul as well?
Right now, he couldn't awaken it without bringing it out to meet Mr. Amaldo, but he didn't want to take the chance that it would bond with him in its current state. It was still a malevolent being and he had had bad experiences with evil beings inhabiting his costumes.
He had to buy some time.
Heading out of his lab, he went to inform Rye that he would be holding the costume for a few days to work out the kinks in it.
But what he didn't witness was the Flammie costume raising its head and looking vaguely in the exact direction Rye was standing.
Mine... you will... be mine... my strength... my power... my legacy... will live... come... come to me... let me become you... I need you... die... kill... suffer... Seryn...!
Even though its mouth wasn't moving, its voice echoed in the room like a person possessed. It was a truly evil spirit if it wanted nothing but power from its owner. But Aridos and Rye were unaware of its intentions at the moment...
...or was he? Rye had heard a strange voice in his head while he had been waiting for the old man. He couldn't make out the words, but it seemed to be calling out for him. It was like it needed him to survive and was waiting for him to come to it.
Rye had never cared for anyone but himself before, but he felt that this voice needed him. He was determined to help it out in any way that he could.
As the door to the back room swung open, Rye managed to get a glimpse of a pair of piercing-red eyes looking back at him. Instantly, he felt as if a second presence had entered his mind. He felt a great power radiating from the presence inside of him and time seemed to stop all of a sudden.
He was standing in a black void that seemed to go on forever in every direction. He didn't understand. Was this a dream? It seemed pretty real to him. There was something out there that was calling for him, but he couldn't make it out.
But then... he heard it.
Rye... my humble servant...
"Who's there?!" said Rye, looking around frantically. "Where are you?!"
Calm yourself... you are mine...
Rye was suddenly scared for his life. He had no idea who this presence was, but it obviously was in control of him.
You cannot escape... human... I own you...
"Nobody owns me! I'm my own person!"
Silence...! Rye suddenly froze up. You are not one... to be making demands. You belong... to me... human... submit... at once...
"And if I don't?" Rye was getting cocky for some reason.
...you will pay... dearly...
Suddenly, Rye felt as if he was being attacked. It wasn't a physical attack but was more of a mental one. He felt like his mind was burning within his skull. His brain was on fire and it was affecting his entire body. Every nerve in his system was filled with the feeling of a thousand white-hot knives. He couldn't think or breathe from the intensity of the attack. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He couldn't scream, either. The shock of the assault had frozen his vocal cords and he could only gasp as he was being burned internally.
Finally, Rye felt the pain recede. He felt as if he had jumped in a cold lake after a hot soak in a sauna. The shock paralyzed him momentarily, but he soon got used to the feeling and was able to breathe easier again.
"Wha... what was that?! What did you do to me?!"
You refused my command... and so you suffered... now... submit to... my power... or else...
Rye suddenly realized what this presence was capable of and gulped audibly. He knew that he had only gotten a taste of what it could do to him and finally cracked.
"I'll do whatever you say! Just don't hurt me again!"
He could feel the presence smiling malevolently at him. He knew that it owned him now, but it would show him a degree of mercy as long as he did what it said.
Good human... now... sleep... forget everything...
The last thing that Rye remembered before he blacked out was a calming darkness washing over him as the dark presence took over his body to suit its own demands.
Aridos, meanwhile, was unaware that any of this was happening. The whole event happened in less than five seconds in the conscious world and he had no idea what the presence had done to Rye. He simply went about his normal business as usual in telling Rye about the costume.
"I'm sorry to say that there are still a few bugs to iron out of the costume. I will have to ask you to come back in about a week. I should have everything good to go by then." When Rye appeared to glare at him, he simply shrugged and said, "A great piece of art takes time to perfect, and I'm sorry to say that this piece of art is nowhere near perfect yet. Now, off with you!"
Rye growled and flexed his fingers as if to strangle the old man, but he finally admitted defeat and walked off without saying anything. If Aridos had looked directly in his eyes before he left, he would have seen that his normally dark-brown irises had turned a piercing-red shade, indicating that he had been possessed by the spirit that resided in the purple Flammie costume.
When Rye left, Aridos sighed and went back to his back room to get to work. This was going to be one stubborn evil spirit to purify, so he had his work cut out for him.
Near the shop, Rye had regained control of himself, but only slightly. The presence in his mind had gained the ability to communicate with Rye using his voice in a slightly different tone.
"It's all going according to plan. Soon, I will have my body back and the world will once again be filled with Darkness."
Rye wasn't surprised that this evil entity was in total control of him. "But why do you have to have a form? Aren't you happy with me to control?"
But the entity obviously wasn't. "No! I must have a solid form! And the window is slipping away! Find it and bring me into the Light!"
(Meanwhile, Skyle Kelvin was walking by, catching a brief part of this conversation. "Creep," he muttered to himself and kept walking.)
Rye didn't understand. "But what IS your form? You never told me what form you needed."
The entity growled and turned his head towards the direction of the shop. "It's that costume that you failed to acquire for me. I may have possessed you, but I am not happy with this pathetic human shell. You will get my body back so that I may live again!"
Rye contemplated this and came up with a conclusion, much to his amazement. "Wait a minute. I was told by M to get that Purple Flammie Costume! Does that mean that you're...?!"
The entity chuckled and bowed low as if gesturing to himself. "You humans aren't as stupid as I thought you were. Yes, I am M. But you can call me by my true name – Mana."
Rye was suddenly shocked beyond belief. "You mean that this was all planned by you?! You were using me just so you could be reborn again?!"
Mana laughed darkly as Rye rambled on. "You learn fast, scum. I have been using you ever since you took to the streets. I've been alive in the world ever since that poor excuse for a human reawakened me from the afterlife. I chose you to retrieve my body because you were the most capable candidate. You were a nobody in this world and no one was going to miss you when you were gone. Now, my rebirth is at hand and soon, I will reclaim my rightful place in this world as Flammie King!"
Rye was fighting a losing battle, but he was determined not to go down without a fight. "But you can't just manipulate me into retrieving your body for you! There's no way that you can get into that shop without being seen! That old man may be senile, but he's someone you don't want to mess with!"
But Mana didn't seem to be concerned about that. "You bore me, human scum. You will find that even though I am separated from my body, I still have the ability to get what I want. You are no longer my main concern. You have become indispensable. Die now, Rye Amaldo. You will soon feel the infinite darkness that I endured for over 2000 years. Die now and leave me to my plans."
It was over before he knew what had hit him. With a psychic snap, Rye was ripped from his body and his mind was no longer among the living. Mana had killed him just like that and he was soon passing onto the afterlife. Even though Mana was still separated from his true body, his powers of Darkness were already at amazing levels. Now that he had a body to work with, he could use his powers to accomplish things he could not as a spirit.
But this was just the beginning. Once he had his body back, his strength would be multiplied tenfold. It was all falling into place and soon, he would be back in control of the world like he once was. It was only a matter of time...
(Author's Note: Since Rye is now out of the picture, I am going to switch to first-person perspective from Mana's view. But there are still things going on in Aridos' domain, so I will switch back to him whenever necessary.)
It's amazing what 2000 years in the darkness can do to a person. It can be a pleasant experience; it can be a rotten experience; it could even be complete Hell to those who have given up all hope of ever being reincarnated.
And then, there are instances like mine. When I was alive, I was in complete power. I had had the powers of Darkness flowing through my veins and I was next to invincible in my quest to dominate the earth. Life was grand on a cosmic scale and nothing could stand in my way.
But then Fate intervened. I don't know why, but my dear sister had had the gall to rise up against me single-handedly. True, I had been tested to the absolute limit of my power to defeat her, but I had not given up hope of destroying her. I do not know why my sister – one of the most gentle and caring Flammies the world had ever known – could have such a power in her heart to think that she could stand up against me.
Our fight was one for the history books. She had gone through my followers as easily as spitting in the ocean. And when the two of us squared off against each other, I was stunned at her ability to battle me so effectively. The heavens called down upon us to battle until the last breath escaped our mouths... and that's what we did. We had nearly destroyed our own village in an attempt to triumph over the other.
But just when it seemed that I would gain the upper hand, my sister mustered the courage to fire one final Flammie Breath at me. Out of sheer instinct, I retaliated with a Shadow Breath of my own. The two attacks pierced each other and both of them met their targets. Her Flammie Breath hit me hard in the head and my Shadow Breath hit her square in the heart. The resulting aftermath? Neither of us survived this final attack and we were both sent into the darkness as a pair.
Shortly after I arrived, I began planning my return. In the darkness, there is no emotion or thought. There is only instinct and existence. And the power of my instincts drove me to be reincarnated in a future when almost no one remembered our struggle. It would be an age where Flammies were all but extinct – an age where I could start over and rebuild my legacy without fear of competition.
So you could imagine my luck when a senile old man dwelling deep in the powers of magic extracted me from the darkness and placed me in a body that I was more than capable of using. But unfortunately, my return did not come without a price. I was alive again, but I could only exist within a shell of my former life. To fully return to the planet, I needed a human host to put on the costume that had been infused with my spirit.
I never ever liked those human scum and I was even more disgusted when I realized that I needed one to live again. But that's where the loophole came in. It never said that the human had to have a human spirit in it. Which is why I took over the mind and body of a human who would not be missed in the world. I manipulated him into getting what I wanted and once I had gained access to his body, I disposed of his human soul to use his body as my own.
So at the moment, I existed in a human body and in a costume infused with my spirit. I could only use my mental powers in this pathetic shell of a body while my true power was sealed in the costume. I was determined to combine my two spirits together and become one again.
I was so close... I could practically see my rebirth in my mind's eye. I was going to be reborn within a few days and I was itching with excitement at the thought of regaining my former glory.
But I wasn't there yet. I still had to get past the old man that had awakened me in the first place and get back in my body. I just had to find someway of getting around or through the man that was at this moment trying to exterminate me. At this moment, he was doing his very best to remove my evil spirit from the costume he had infused it with.
Unfortunately for him, that would be impossible. He had sealed the deal when he had infused a Flammie body with a Flammie spirit. And the fact that my spirit had changed the costume to my exact dimensions further burned the fact into stone. It was physically, spiritually and magically impossible to remove or even purify my spirit in its current form. Ah, the mistakes of one obsessed old man. It was all the sweeter for me to dwell on.
But I was still in this human body, so I had to act like a human for the time being. To eliminate suspicion, I needed to wait for the time that the old man had said that I could see my body again.
For the next few days, I went about the normal routines that the human named "Rye" did on a daily basis. I went about the days, eating whenever I was hungry, sleeping whenever I was tired and... shudder... emptying myself whenever I was full. It was clearly a humiliating experience to live the life of the ones I had grown to hate. I was disgusted by the feeble energy that mortal food provided me. It was nothing like the moonlight I could absorb as a Flammie on a nightly basis. As I was, all I could do was look up at the moon at night and wish... just wish... that I could be back in the sky again, feasting on the energetic rays of the moon that supplied me with nourishment on a nightly basis.
I also grew to hate this pathetic human body. I could not believe that of all the creatures in the world, the "most intelligent" had evolved without the feel of fur on their bodies, the strength of ages coursing through their veins, or even sharper eyesight than the sheer near-sightedness I had had to deal with. How could humans have ever defeated us? Without artificial means of defending themselves – guns, chemicals and other crude weaponry – humans were the absolute weakest creatures I had ever known. It made me sick to think that they considered themselves at the top of the food chain. They hunted for sport, completely disregarding the miracle of life that every creature possessed; they gathered in mass quantities to humor and challenge themselves by torturing poor, defenseless bulls; they beat and whipped unfortunate equines to race for meaningless pieces of metal and paper; and then they had the nerve to use helpless creatures for their entertainment. It made me absolutely sick to think that these worthless, hairless apes could have defeated the Flammie Clan in the even more-primitive state they were 2000 years ago.
(Author's Note: The truly faithful might want to skip over the next part for fear of sensitivity to certain events.)
And then there was the human religion and justice system. It amazed me to think that even though there is only one true "God" that there were so many different outlooks on what was truly faithful. There was the constant belief of the one they call "The Messiah" who "rose from the dead" without leaving a corpse and all the "miracles" that he performed during his short, mortal life. I think I'm going to be sick. Not one version of their "good book" stated that they were mooching off of the Flammies' leftover magic to accomplish their "miracles". Not one passage of their book mentioned Flammies or magic in assisting in miracles. True, the humans had already killed us off by then, but there was still plenty of magic left in the world at the time to accomplish more than the humans' fair share of miracles. Not even the parts of the "Old Testament" mentioned Flammies and all the miracles that they performed in the world.
(Author's Note: Okay, enough of that. It's not true, but a creature of such evil and magic needs to think something about it. I don't want to hear any guff from the faithful on this section!)
And if that wasn't bad enough, it was the problems of common human society that disgusted me even further. How could a species considering of many different races and colors discriminate each other like they had once did and even now? It was like Red Flammies considering themselves better than Green Flammies! That is complete malarkey! No animal species I had ever known had ever considered themselves better than each other because of their color or descent. It was a joke to think that human could call themselves the "dominate species" when they couldn't even get along with themselves. All the wars, kings, presidents, titles and whatnot was just a bunch of excuses for people to think that they were better than each other. It was an absolute disgrace to the ways of the Earth to think that the most pathetic species on the planet considered themselves better than each other and better than everything else.
Closing the umpteenth history book that I had been looking through at the local library, I was filled with a new hatred for the human race. It was because of them that the world was in such a miserable state. It was because of them that the Flammies had been left out of the history books entirely. It was because of them that the world was going to die in such a short time.
But there was one good part about the humans that I could look back on. Once upon a time, they had once given themselves willingly the Flammies and become like us. All it had taken for them to become Flammie-Humans was a simple bite by any of us on any part of their body. It was this connection between us that kept the Flammies alive for so long. In fact, it was me that had bitten the most humans during my time to swell the ranks of the Flammies to an alarming number. I sighed as I thought back on those times. They had been such good followers. The world had been a much more innocent era. Where have the good old days gone?
Looking at the watch that Rye had been fortunate enough to leave behind, I saw that it was almost time to pick up my "costume". I left the library for the old man's shop right on schedule and entered the dark room just as expected. I had never been one to miss an appointment and I was not about to start now.
(Author's Note: Shift in perspective now.)
Aridos sighed as he cleaned up after another failed attempt to purify the purple Flammie costume. It was just no good. He hadn't been able to make even the slightest dent in the evil spirit that possessed the costume. It was really stubborn and it had been a force to be reckoned with. No matter what he tried, no matter what spells he used, no matter how hard he applied his magical know-it-all, he just could not move that spirit. He couldn't kill it – the resulting explosion would have taken out a good square mile of the city. The only way he could finally be rid of it was to send it to the Wizard's Council for proper destruction. But this was a double-edged sword. The costume would be destroyed properly, but the Council would find out about his experiments with the afterlife. That was a major no-no in the magical community and he would certainly have his license stripped for this. He didn't want to give up his dream of creating revolutionary costumes and bringing happiness to his customers on a grand scale, but he didn't want to let this one abomination be his undoing. It was all coming down to the wire. Should he seal away this evil costume on his own and risk the life of anyone unfortunate to find it or should he admit to the truth and throw his life in the toilet forever? He needed some time to think about this.
But his worries were far from over, but he didn't know it yet. The door tinkled overhead, signaling that he had a customer. He left the back room and went to go check on his sales.
(Author's Note: This should be the last perspective change for a while.)
The front door to the magic costume shop was unlocked, making my entrance all the easier. I made my way through the dark shop towards the back room. I was going to be reunited with my body and my confidence was flaring. It was all coming down to this.
But just as I was about to push open the door to the back room, it swung open and I was face to face with the old man. Of all the no-good (expletive) circumstances! I had been so close!
"Just what do you think you're doing?" said the old man, looking at me with those shining-green eyes. "This room is off limits."
I couldn't believe my luck! But maybe... just maybe... I could fool him with my "human charm".
"I... uh... I got lost. I came to get the Flammie costume for M today. Is it ready?"
The old man looked long and hard in my eyes as if contemplating what I was thinking. I realized that my eyes might have given me away, but I couldn't look away from him, no matter how hard I tried.
But I seemed to fool him. "I'm sorry, but the costume in its current state is unsuitable for purchase. I'm going to have to make a new one. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
WHAT?!?! How dare he!!! From the sound of things, he was going to destroy my body with my spirit inside of it and give me a body not worth my time. No... I must have my "old" body or not at all. The extermination of the human race hung in the balance.
"I'm sorry, "sir", but you will not stand in my way!" I made to shove the old man out of the way, but he was a lot tougher than he looked. He looked at me with mixture of annoyance and astonishment.
"I didn't think it was possible. Somehow, you've managed to splice yourself from your costume and take over an innocent human's body. I congratulate you... Mana."
I looked at the old man like he had just slapped me. How did he know my name?! I had never spoken it to him and had always used the alias "M" to speak to anyone. But my shock turned to anger as I charged the old man.
"You will not stand in my way, old fool! My reincarnation is at hand! I must have my body back!"
But just then, I was thrown back by a psychic force that seemed to radiate from the old man. I went flying over the counter and slammed into a rack, causing numerous costumes to fall on me. Growling, I pushed the inferior models off of me and got to my feet.
"You have no idea what you've just ignited, fool! You will not beat me!"
I ran at him again, but he held up his hand and it felt like I hit a brick wall mere feet from him. Sliding to the floor, I sat there, dazed. Meanwhile, the old man stood over me, a mean look in his eyes.
"You might as well give up now, Mana. Without your body, you cannot use your powers. I would suggest that you leave before you lose your only window to this world."
Uttering a few choice Flammie swear words, I got to my feet and stared a hole in him. He was strong, I'll give him that. And he had a point. In my current state, I would not stand a chance against him. This was another reason why I hated humans – their bodies were so weak and frail, critically limiting their strength.
Wiping my mouth with my hand, I saw that I had suffered a busted lip. I was enraged by the sight of my own blood, even though it technically wasn't mine. But I kept my cool and issued my ultimatum to the wizard.
"Know this, old man: I will get my body back! Not you nor your magic will stop me from reclaiming my destiny! I will be back!"
And with a huff, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the shop, shoving my way past another man who had just arrived. I was this close to getting my powers back and nothing was going to stop me from my goal of becoming Flammie King once again. I just needed some time to think...
That night, I had things to do. I wasn't going to wait any longer to get my body back and I was going to get it back tonight. I managed to steal a crowbar from a man who had broken down in his car. Before he could raise the alarm, I was long gone. This was all I needed. That old man was really lax when it came to security, even though his store had been destroyed twice before. He thought that his pathetic magic could protect him, but he never considered all of the non-magical ways to get inside. There was nothing that was going to stop me, magical or non-magical.
As soon as the old man closed up for the night, I waited about 30 minutes for him to get well enough away. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life, both now and then. Finally, I made my move. I made a beeline for the door and went right to work.
Jamming the crowbar handle into the side of the door, I pried and pulled as hard as I could until the door finally swung open. Normally, this would have sent out a silent alarm to the police by now, but the old man was so 19th century that he didn't even bother for modern security measures.
Once I was inside, I went straight for the back room door. This is where I faced my first problem. The door was so tightly fitted into the wall around it that it was next to impossible to find a crack in its side. And the fact that he had turned off all of the pale lights that kept this shop even slightly lit made it even harder to find. But Fate seemed top be smiling down at me, because I found the door exactly where it had been earlier in the day. Stubborn old man! He should know after two previous destructions of his precious shop that he should install some kind of security, no matter how mortal it was.
Once I was inside the back room, I dropped the crowbar and slowly walked towards the back rack. The sight of my beautiful body was like looking upon a demonic angel – a sight that I had all but forgotten how good it looked.
My Flammie body was slightly bear-like in build and frame. It had four thick limbs and paws with blue-colored pads on each one. The talons were numbered from four on the front paws – complete with opposable "thumbs" – to just three on the back paws. My extra-fine fur was a violent-violet shade that had a slight fragrance of plums and spring lilacs. It was my own scent that I had all but forgotten how beautiful it smelled. All the way down my front down to the tip of my beautiful tail was a series of purple-brown armor plates that was as strong as dragon skin in toughness. And on the back were no less than two pairs of different-sized purple-feathered wings. These were what made the Flammies so impressive. The fact that they had four wings instead of the usual two that most animals had made them legendary in any mythologist's point of view.
When I looked at the costume's head, sweet, powerful emotions washed over my mind. It had been over 2000 years since I had looked at my reflection and it was all the more beautiful to gaze upon once again. I had a short, curved muzzle with two pointed fangs sticking out of my maw whereas most Flammies had only one. I also had a pair of blue-lined deer-like ears that could pick up almost any sound. I also had a crop of thick, untidy, crimson hair just like I remembered.
Now that I realized that nothing would ever stand in my way again, I went over to the rack and took the costume down from the peg. It was time to become the Flammie I once was again. Stripping down buck naked, I cast my pathetic human clothes aside and lied down on top of the costume on the floor. I don't know why humans needed clothes. They were so... confining.
"Mana the Flammie... hear my pleas... make me whole again... let us become one... and be reborn..."
Instantly, the costume came alive and wrapped its front paws around my front. This was it! I was being fused with my body at long last!
Instantly, I felt every nerve in my body go numb as the costume underneath me started to liquefy and mold itself around my body. The paws had grabbed my arms and held them in place as its legs seemed to split open and ooze their way around my legs. I shuddered at the sudden chill I was experiencing when the liquid costume touched my bare skin. But it soon turned to a welcoming warm sensation as my human legs started to lose their definition and become consumed by the costume. Soon, they were nothing more than lead weights as they disappeared underneath the liquid fur, where they vanished completely. For the first time in over 2000 years, I could feel my own footpaws and legs again. The sheer strength and power of my old muscles made me feel rejuvenated all over again. It was good to feel my old fur again.
Now that my legs were consumed, I felt the costume moving up my torso, consuming everything in its path. Its liquid-like tendrils crawled over my human skin, killing off my nerves and replacing themselves with much more potent Flammie ones. The thing that humans called their "manhood" was no more. It was a humiliating way of telling gender that I would be that much happier without. I could feel my tail fusing to my backside and soon, I could feel the extra appendage as if it had always been there. The tail filled out with muscle and bone, giving me the satisfaction of having a tail again. As my human chest was consumed, I could feel my wings starting to work again. Every nerve, every feather and every bone belonged to me again. It was all the more enjoyable to become a Flammie once again.
Now that my torso was completely consumed, I felt the breath leave my lungs for a moment and then return in greater volumes. Not only that, but my old Shadow and Lightning lungs – my main sources of elemental breath – now belonged in my chest just where they used to be. I also felt my human stomach dwindle to almost nothing. It was no longer that important now that I could feed on moonlight once again. And with a churning slush, new and old organs appeared and vanished in my new chest. It was all the more enjoyable to be myself once again.
Now that my chest was consumed, I could relax my arms. Their smooth, cold tentacles crawled over my skin and both built and destroyed muscle and sinew. And when my human fingers were replaced by hard, Flammie talons, I flexed them experimentally, feeling the power surge through my veins just like old times.
Finally, I was looking out of my own mouth for a minute before the costume gave an impressive gulp and my vision went black for a minute. My eyesight returned in a moment with all of the sharpness and contrast that I had once used. I was once again my old Flammie self, but with the advantage of a newer, more finely-tuned physique.
But when I reached the spiritual part of the transformation, I nearly lost it. The sheer strength and ability that now flowed through my veins was astronomical! I felt a power enter me that did yet did not belong to me. It was like I was an alien in my own body. The power... it was intoxicating. I felt much, much more capable than I was over 2000 years ago. I had to take a few deep breaths to get used to the incredible strength entering my mind.
When it was all over, I lied there for a moment, trying to figure out where this power had come from. It certainly did not belong to me back then, so why did I have it now? It did not make any sense.
But before I disposed of my human existence, I consulted my Flammie mind for the source of the unknown power. It turned out that the old man's attempts to purify and/or remove my spirit had angered it, giving it power unlike anything it had ever known before. It was a complete fluke that I was even more powerful than ever before. I now possessed telekinetic abilities unlike any mortal force in the world. I was now nearly invincible and it felt oh, so good!
(Author's Note: I don't think any character I had ever used before has ever taken that much pleasure in being transformed and know about it. It just shows you how sick, twisted and demented the character "Mana" has become. EEEEEVIIIILLLL!!! Sorry...)
Now that I was fully transformed, I wasted no time in destroying the human body that dwelled within me. I would no longer need it now that I had officially returned to the planet. The event left me a little lightheaded and confused, but only temporarily. Now that there was no human existence dragging me down, I was even more powerful than before. And to test out my new powers, I decided to have a little fun with this lab.
Going out on a limb, I held out my right forepaw and envisioned the destruction of the lab. I barely had to think before a force not unlike a gunshot flew from my paw and smashed the network of glass tubes on the table nearby.
Astonished by my own strength, I held my paw in front of my face and smiled malevolently. "This is going to be..." I chuckled darkly. "...delightful!"
With a wave of my paw, I sent a psychic shockwave coursing through the room, upending tables and smashing glass vials full of chemicals. Drunk with my own power, I turned my attention to a bookcase nearby and caused numerous volumes to explode into blasts of pages. The feeling of power was enormous and I would soon use it to destroy the human race.
But I didn't want to leave all the credit with my psychic powers. Feeling a sense of vandalism, I cracked my knuckles and went to work with my talons, tail and teeth.
Within a minute, it looked like a twister had hit this place. There was nothing left that wasn't scored, slashed or smashed. I was happy with my work and decided to call it a night. But before I left, I did a little destruction of the main shop. It wasn't much – I just wanted to get his attention. A little smashing of his cash register, a little destruction of a few of his precious costumes (they put up a little bit of a fight for such worthless magical suits) and he would finally get the message.
And with a quick bashing of his front door, I was finally back out in the world to do with as I pleased. The era of the Flammie King was about to start... and I was going to be there when it happened...
...but my story does not end there. Not by a long shot. I had taken to the streets on a nightly basis to find my first victims to become Human-Flammies. But with my enhanced powers leeching into my fangs, there would no longer be anything "human" about them. My victims would become the first True Flammies created by a Flammie's bite.
How did I do it? You'd be surprised how easy it is to hide in the city during the day. Hardly anybody ever looked on the roofs anymore and it was these lookout points that allowed me to spy on the world. I would spy out any potential humans that I could use as my followers. I started out small – homeless people, people without families, things like that – people that nobody would miss. I didn't want to announce my comeback quite yet. And at night, after I basked in the glorious energy that was the moonlight, I would hunt these loners down and kidnap them. I would hit them with a small psychic wave, causing them to keel over, unconscious, and then take them away from the city to a secluded place where no one would hear them scream. After waiting patiently for them to wake up, I would hide in the shadows and taunt them, causing them to panic and try to run. But when I finally revealed myself, I gave them a few fleeting moments to give their last words before I would sink my fangs into their throats. When the blood stopped flowing, they would be unconscious once again and their transformation would begin. I watched every painful change that they went through, taking pleasure in their pain. When they were finally transformed, I would wipe their minds of all memory of their human lives so that they only lived to serve me.
Sometimes, I would keep them awake during their transformation so that I could hear them scream. Their cries of pain and mercy were like sweet melodies to me. They made me feel even more superior to them, which made me even more confident in conquering the world. Life was good...
And then on the third day of my reign, I heard a report from one of my followers that a strange creamy-yellow-furred Flammie had appeared out of nowhere in a cave near my hideout. At first, I didn't think much of it, but when he told me that she smelled faintly of vanilla, I could not ignore it any longer. I took off at once.
How could it be?! I thought that she had died along with me over 2000 years ago! How could Fate have reawakened her again?! And she was so close to me that I could sense her mind fairly easily. It just wasn't possible!
But when I reached the cave, it was confirmed. The creamy-yellow female True Flammie was none other than my sister and life-long rival, Seryn. It went against all logic that she could be here and now. But from my lookout, the sight of her wobbling unsteadily made me think. Could she have been a costume as well? Could that old man have brought her back into a Flammie costume after his first "failure"? It just didn't make any sense.
However, judging from her mind, she was no stronger than she was over 2000 years ago. This worked to my advantage. We may have killed each other back then, but now, there was no contest. Filled with a new confidence, I fluttered down and watched her wobble around. She had obviously fused with the human that had worn her, leaving her weak and vulnerable at the moment. This was just too easy.
Seryn collapsed at the cave entrance and sat back on her hind legs to massage her temples. She had obviously hit her head in her confusion and was trying to avoid a splitting headache.
"Ohh... what happened to me? How did I get so clumsy all of a sudden? I guess I overslept or something."
I smiled and spoke to her. "That appears to be the case, dear sister. It seems that you always let down your guard at some of the most convenient times."
At first, she didn't recognize my voice. He mind was still a little cluttered from her fusion. But when she looked directly at me, the look on her face was priceless.
Seryn was my Flammie sister from over 2000 years ago. She was the reason I had died in the first place, but I never thought I'd see her in the Real World again. She was slightly smaller than me and she had creamy-yellow fur instead of my violent-violet fur. Her hair was golden-yellow and her wings were tipped with a green-blue stripe. Her talons and pads were brown and pink whereas mine were a deep-blue. Finally, like most Flammies, she had only one fang sticking out of the top of each side of her muzzle while I had two. Even though I had never hoped to see her again, I would never forget the shine of those baby-blue irises.
"You mean that Aridos...?!" she said in disbelief.
I chuckled and smiled mischievously at her. "You bet your wings he did. You know, isn't it strange no matter where I go, you are never far behind me? Oh, how I rue the day that we were born in the same clutch, but I guess that's just me." On a positive note, I decided to catch her off-guard. "So, how have you been?"
Seryn thought this as a little odd for me. Normally, I would have blasted her with my Shadow Breath and attacked her in a fit of maniacal rage by now. She was still on guard as she looked at me woozily.
"I... I'm fine. Just fine. A little dizzy... but fine. How... How have you been?"
I dropped to all fours and walked over to her so I could get a better look at her. She hadn't changed in the slightest since I had last seen her. "Oh... you know how I am. Death, Reincarnation, Possession, Domination, Infection... that sort of thing."
The last word in my description seemed to get her attention. She suddenly looked like I had slapped her. "Infection?! Mana! You've been biting humans against their wills again, haven't you?!"
I smiled and opened my muzzle, revealing my still-blood-stained fangs from biting that human last night. This seemed to confirm her worse suspicions.
"MANA!!! I thought you were better than that! Didn't a life-long exile from our clan teach you anything about disobeying the elders' orders?!"
I closed my mouth and held up my paw to signify, "Talk to the paw." There are several problems with your accusations, sister. One: You were banished along with me, if you remember correctly. Two: I don't know if you've noticed, but there are no longer any True Flammies left in the world except for the ones swimming in your gut." I paused to watch her confused expression. It was true, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. It was one of those things that siblings were able to tell. "Three: It's over 2000 years since we've been on this earth. The rules of the elders no longer apply to me." I paused again to watch her scowl at me. And Four: Since when have rules ever applied to me? I live by my own rules, Seryn. I take as I please, do as I please and think as I please. In fact, if it weren't for you, I might still be the true Flammie King."
She frowned as I walked by her and gave her a flick on the muzzle with my tail. "And if it weren't for you, dear "brother", our kind would have survived for these past 2000 years! It's because of your "followers" that the humans figured out how to kill us in the first place!"
But I could have cared less. "That was then – this is now. They may have once known how to kill us, but this is a new era. This era, there are no elders to stand in my way."
I watched her growl and raise herself up on her haunches. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"
But I was not intimidated by this show of courage. "You forget, Seryn, in that life, we were equals. But the magical meddlings of one old man has enhanced my powers ten-fold. You don't stand a chance against me... scum."
This had the desired effect I was aiming for. She absolutely hated it when I called her this. She snarled and leaped at me, talons and fangs bared. But before she could even get close, I casually lifted a paw at her and used my psychic powers to grab her in a chokehold. The look of shock on her face was nothing short of priceless. Even now, the only way to kill a Flammie was to destroy both our hearts and our brains at the same time. Otherwise, our unique regenerative powers enable us to completely rebuild the other and go on living perfectly normal lives. And wouldn't you know it? Strangulation/suffocation is at the top of that very short list.
I could see her trying to panic. She was shocked at how I had acquired my unbelievable strength. It would have been so easy to kill her right here and right now, but because of her pathetic state, I showed a little of my rare mercy by throwing her to one side with a casual flick of my wrist.
"You're no fun, Seryn. You're no longer anyone that I consider a threat anymore. I have places to be and you are no longer at the top of my priority list. Good-bye, sister. Watch from the sidelines as I take over this world once again. But this time, you will not be a treat to my operations."
And with that, I spread my wings and took off back towards the town. Seryn was nobody to me anymore. She could not hope to challenge me and win. It would be suicide in her current state. In fact, she had more numerous things to worry about with her... "family matters".
I disappeared from view soon enough and rejoined my Flammie ranks. The destruction of the human race was up and coming, and soon, my reign as Flammie King would be all too real to ignore...
To be continued...
Get the other side of the story in "Fit for a God 3 Light Version: Flammie and Glory".
Coming soon from shadowlugia249:
"Flammie and Glory 4: Fur will Fly" – A new Flammie TF and Adventure
"Dreams Come True 6 Red Version: A Touch of Destiny" – A dragon/Latias TF
"Dreams Come True 6 Blue Version: A Twist of Fate" – A dragon/Latios TF
"Shiron vs. Ranshiin" – A Legendz TF
"Digi-Modified" – A Digimon Adventure