Moon Goddess of War Ascended: A Side Story – By Ocramed
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, the God of War franchise and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a limited, crossover fusion story. C&C are welcomed.
Special Note: This is a sort of prequel to "Moon Goddess of War".
Part 3
"What exactly do you mean by THAT?" Kratos demanded.
"Right now, you are using your friend's gifts to still your mind," said the dark man. "But how long do you think it will be before those gifts will fail you? Or, worse, how long before something will happen to her, thereby preventing you from being attended to by your friend?
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Usagi said defensively. "And I will be here with Kratos as long as it takes."
"I do not doubt your dedication to your friend, but is this the life that you want to have?"
"Um, well…"
"What must be done to allow me to heal my mind, and remove me from Aries' yoke of servitude for good?" Kratos said.
"You must journey to Delphi and see the oracle there," the dark man said. "But be careful. The Furies have no doubt caught word of where you and your companion have been hiding these few months…"
Pause.
"In the meantime, I give you these to help you on your quest," the dark man said, as he gives a ring to Kratos and a necklace to Usagi. "In time, the gifts within these artifacts will be made abundantly clear. Good luck…"
With that, the dark man disappears…
"Get ready to move," Kratos said. "We leave within the hour."
"Now?" Usagi whined. "But I haven't eaten or sleep yet."
"Fine. We leave as soon as you have taken you 'beauty sleep'."
"THANK you," Usagi said, as she yawned. "I just need a quick nap, and we can leave this infernal place…"
Hours later…
"BLEEEEEEEEH!" screeched the elephant beast man, called an "Elephantaur", as he began to charge Usagi's position. It didn't take long for the minions of the Furies to find Usagi and Kratos in the cursed town of Kirra…
While Kratos used his Blades of Chaos to take on his own foes, which consisted of an elephant man beast and a few "Feral Hounds", Usagi took on her foe.
Usagi sees a silver club sticking up out of the ground, with the handled sticking up. She grabs the handle and tried to pull it.
"Urgh!" Usagi said with a grunt.
"BLEEEEEEH!"
"Yikes!" Usagi yelled, as she dodged to avoid being run-downed by the beast. As the creature turned to charge at Usagi again, the Moon Princess notices a silver sword, with a thick point, embedded in the ground. Timing her run, Usagi leaped across the snowy ground, pulls the sword out of the ground, turns to face her attacker…
BLEEEEEEEH-!
THOK!
Usagi's blade penetrates the Juggernaut's thick hide, causing it to wither in pain.
"BLEEERRGH!" the elephant beast cried, as it looked at Usagi expectantly for release.
With tears of her own, Usagi pushes the blade deeper into the creature's chest, and into its heart…
SLICE!
THOOM!
As the creature fades back into the ether, Usagi dropped her sword.
CLANG!
"I don't want to do this," Usagi said, as she shakes her head, even as Kratos kills off his own attacks.
"HA!" Kratos said, as he stabs his beastie's brain relentlessly.
"BLEEEERGH!" the Elephantaur screeched, as it, too, dies…
"Bunny, are you okay?" Kratos asked.
"I…I just need a moment to collect myself," Usagi said, as she wiped away a tear.
"That was brave of you for trying to pick up that Silver Club," Kratos said, as he picks up the club himself, and placed in pocket space. "I'll keep it for you, when you're strong enough."
"Feh," Usagi said, as she stands up. "Unless a 'boon' is involved, I seriously doubt I'll ever pick up THAT weapon. I'll just stick to the lighter weapons, thank you very much…"
After acquiring a Silver Javelin, which allowed the Moon Princess to close the distances to attack her opponents, she and Kratos decided to take the back way around Kirra, in order to avoid most of the Furies' minions, they came upon the first opportunity to collect a boon: the Fire of Aries…
"For those who seek the Truth, the heat of Aries' Fire has No Burn", said a wall, as the visage of Aries, the Olympian god of War burned. The wall itself, called the "Gate of Aries", was decorated and carved with various images of warriors who were dedicated followers to the god.
"Interesting," Usagi said, as she stepped up to the wall. Right in front of it was a large urn that burned with a hot flame. The Moon Princess then noticed something about the wall itself…
"Hey, I think this wall is really some gate."
"Then, we must pass this wall to leave this village," Kratos said. "Any ideas?"
"Your blades could draw the magic away from the wall, right?" Usagi said.
"Is this something that you already know?"
"Nope, just a guess on my part."
"Humph," Kratos said, as he looked at his blades. "There is only one way to find out…"
With his mind resolved, the Ghost of Sparta plunges his Blades of Chaos into the urn.
FWOOSH!
"Arrrrgh!" Kratos yelled, as he was suddenly engulfed by the mystic flames.
"Kratos!" Usagi said, as she instinctively reached over to pull Kratos away from the flames. When she touched her companion, Usagi was engulfed by the flames as well…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Usagi screamed, as the flames from the urn went into both Kratos and Usagi….
"Oof!" Usagi said, as she and Kratos fell in a heap. She looks up to see that the flaming urn disappears.
Suddenly, goat men, all carrying swords, emerge from the ground.
"Bleeeeeh!" screech the goat men, called "Satyrs", as they began to circle Usagi and Kratos.
"Get ready!" Kratos yelled, as he smacked his flaming Chaos Blades together. His body burned hot, and he appeared to be on fire.
Out of curiosity, Usagi took out her sword, and sees that it was covered in flames.
"Oh, yeah," Usagi said with a smile. "Now we're talking…"
After completing Aries' challenge to secure their boon, Usagi and Kratos continued on their way through the nearly-abandoned town of Kirra. Along the way, Usagi realizes that with each death, or with each breaking of the red, blue, green and white Treasure Chests, both she and Kratos were getting stronger, as evident by the fact that the Moon Princess could finally lift the Silver Club that Kratos had on his person.
"Ha!" Usagi said, as she threw her flaming Silver Club at the goat men who were lobbing spears at her and Kratos. Upon impact, the enhanced Silver Club released an explosive force that killed their attackers instantly.
BOOM!
The Silver Club magically reappeared in Usagi's hand.
"I think I'll like this…"
Upon finding the Silver Shield, Usagi was able to deflect attacks from Talos birds, who could charge of their energy to deliver elemental-based attacks. She also found the shield handy against the Gorgon's deadly gaze.
"Come, my pretty," said the Gorgon. "Let me take a good look at you."
"I don't think so," Usagi said. She paid enough attention to her studies to know what would happen if she looks into the face of the snake lady…
"HEEEEEEEEEE!" the Gorgon screeched, as she tried to use her powers on Usagi.
Usagi, intentionally or not, deflected the attack, killing the Gorgon in the process, after she turned to stone.
"Ack-!"
Hesitantly, Usagi peeks over her shield…
"Are you well?" Kratos said suddenly.
"Ah!" Usagi said, as she jumped in fright. She angrily turned to face her companion.
"Don't SCARE me like that!" Usagi said.
"Trust me, there are other things to be more scared of," Kratos said. "Come, we may get out of this infernal village by way of the aqueducts…"
After traveling a bit, the Ghost of Sparta and the Moon Princess reach the source of the village's water. There, a mural, the same one that Aries had, stood. However, this elaborate mural was of Poseidon, the Olympian god of the seas…
"Okay, I don't feel any heat coming from this urn," Usagi said. "But, if it's like the last time, we should collect a boon from the sea god…"
Pause.
"And most likely have to fight some challenge," Usagi sighed.
"At least we know," Kratos said. "Okay, grab my shoulder."
"Alright…"
"HA!" Kratos yelled, as he stabs the urn with his blades…
"C-cold!" Usagi said, as she and Kratos were briefly frozen, as their bodies took in the Ice of Poseidon, a power that would grant the pair the ability to create ice-based attacks, while being able to breathe underwater…
And, sure enough, Satyr warriors popped up from the ground.
"Figures," Usagi said, as she takes her sword from pocket space. She noticed that the Silver Sword glowed light blue and instead of orange-red while being cold slightly. She then stepped back, and took a mighty swing at her opponents.
"Ha!" Usagi said, as she creates a gust of cold wind so intense that her opponents were frozen instantly.
"Huh, this could work…"
Once the enemies were dispatched, Usagi and Kratos had earned their boon, as evident by the opening of the Gate of Poseidon revealing a gigantic, mechanical snake. After examining the texts that adorned the receiving area, where the snake's head was located, Usagi realized something.
"Kratos, this mechanical snake will take us to Delphi," Usagi said happily.
"Are you sure?" Kratos inquired.
"I'm sure," Usagi said, as she points to the inscription while using a flaming torch to see. "According to this, the god Apollo fought three powerful snakes where Delphi was. In gratitude, three villages chipped in to connect their homes to Delphi, the site of a famous temple for Apollo's oracles, and created an elaborate transportation for people to use when visiting Delphi…"
Pause.
"But from the looks of things, it's been years since anyone has use it," Usagi said, as she looks around the receiving station.
"Does it function?" Kratos asked.
"Well, we better, since getting to Delphi from here means going through those mountains," Usagi said pointedly.
"Alright, then let us make this happen," Kratos said, as he turned to walk away.
"This is going to be a long night," Usagi said, as she followed her friend…
Once there was a way to activate the ancient tram, Usagi and Kratos hops unto the head of the snake, and travel up the side of the mountain, until the mechanical snake latches onto a tower's rod.
"That was…anti-climatic," Usagi said, as she yawns.
"What were you expecting?" Kratos asked.
"Considering how this mechanical snake was winding through those mountains, I kind of expected us to be attacked by barbarians or monsters or something…"
Pause.
"But, we are HERE," Usagi said, as she stands up. "I wonder what challenges we'll face here…"
That question was answered in the form of a Manticore (a goat, lion, snake creature that was as big as a van) that attacked the pair.
"RRRARRGH!" the Manticore screeched. Its snake tail began to spit out acid Kratos and Usagi. While Kratos rolled away, Usagi used her shield to block the toxic spew.
"Ew," Usagi said, as she smelled the fumes. "Somebody needs a breath mint or something…"
After the creature was dealt with, it was determined that the best way to reach the Temple of Delphi was by having all the mechanical snakes latch onto the tower that they first arrived on. Once done, a mechanical switch was to be pulled, there by activating an ancient generator created by the philosopher Archimedes, who originally designed both the tower's and the temple's mechanical aspect.
Of course, there would be monster to deal with, but, at least the Moon Princess and the Ghost of Sparta earned a boon for their tasks: the Lightning of Zeus.
"You know, I really hope that the oracle isn't some crazy person," Usagi said, as Kratos pulls the switch that activates the tower's generator. "If he is, I'm going to zap him one…"
Tbc.