Review Responses:

Pt35 - I remember hearing about how short sword fights can be years ago from a Game Theory pitting the Star Wars lightsaber against the Halo energy sword. I've decided to go a bit more crazy with the fights here though, like the ones in a shonen anime, as that's how I've always imagined them playing out in my head. I did incorporate some of your ideas into this chapter though, and I think it really helped. Thanks for the suggestions!

UnidentifiedWhistlingObject - This is the last arena fight I have planned for now, though there may or may not be another way way way later on. Haven't decided yet. Also, scales are supposed to be worth about as much as Japanese yen, and about 96 scales are the equivalent to $1, so really the 250,000 scale prize is about $2,500.

Earthpatriot117 - Don't worry, Reggie will learn how to fight with a mech, and Maple too!

Quick Note:

The Lyrics in this chapter are from Ama Lee's rendition of Strike Back. You can try listening to the song while you're reading that part of the story, and I've even tried pacing it so that the song will flow naturally as you read, though that really depends on your own reading speed and some prior knowledge of the song, so it's really not guaranteed that it'll work right. It's a bit experimental, but I saw something similar done by Nebula the Starwing in their story, and considering how much of this story's initial inspiration came from daydreaming while listening to music, I thought it would be neat to try and convey that here. Pretty much every major fight sequence in my mind has some sort of song associated with it, like the fight against the nanobot Peril was thought up to the tune of Confident by Demi Lovato. Again, the music thing probably only works properly for me, but I thought it was a neat idea anyway.

Chapter 26: Luna

Beneath The Pancake House

Midnight

The crowd roared in anticipation, Lin and Luna sizing each other up from across the octagonal cage. The SilkWing had a variety of weapons strapped to her sides, but had only a small amount of leather body armor, giving Lin the impression that she was the type to prioritize power and speed over durability.

"So you're my last opponent?" Lin asked, gesturing to Luna. "I've never fought a dragon like you before, this should be interesting."

"Don't think I'm gonna hold back just 'cause we're acquainted, Lin." Luna replied.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The horn sounded off once again, signaling the start of the fight.

"Punch her face in Lin!" someone shouted from the stands. Lin looked up to see Hidden with his talons cupped around his snout. He waved down at her for a second, but his expression quickly changed to one of surprise, alerting Lin to the armed SilkWing charging towards her.

Lin dove out of the way just in time, Luna landing at the spot where she had just been standing. The SilkWing pulled out two short rods from her sides, each about the length of her forelegs, a glowing blue energy emanating from the end of each.

She grinned deviously, and launched herself with a beat of her twin pairs of wings, propelling herself forward with unparalleled speed to strike Lin with the rods. Lin barely had enough time to dodge, one of the rods striking the base of her left wing where it met her shoulder. Lin slid to the side, her left wing falling helplessly to the floor as the joint numbed.

Stun rods. Of course she has stun rods.

This SilkWing was far more skilled in combat than Hidden was, and unlike the hulking mech had agility that slightly outpaced even Lin. As Luna continued her onslaught, Lin found herself on the defensive for the third time that night, unable to land any significant blows while having to carefully avoid having another part of her paralyzed by the rods.

It was infuriating, and it was clear that Luna felt the same.

"If you keep running away, we'll be here 'till sunrise!" Luna shouted as she continually attempted to land a hit on Lin, the EarthWing always narrowly escaping the touch of her stun rods. The SilkWing growled, and joined the two rods at their ends, creating one long staff. She swung the staff about in wide arks, spinning and twirling it to distract Lin as she prepared to strike.

Lin grinned. In combining her two weapons into one, Luna may have increased her attack range, but she had also left herself far more vulnerable than she had been before. And as the SilkWing swiped once again at Lin, her staff carving a wide arc through the air, Lin leapt forward, aiming to quickly pin the SilkWing while her guard was down.

Suddenly, a small cylindrical device unlatched from a belt wrapped around Luna's torso. Using one of her hind talons, Luna kicked the device straight towards Lin's face, a blinding flash of light erupting from the canister. Lin stumbled backward, falling onto her back as she rubbed at her eyes.

Moons! What was that? she thought, her vision temporarily blurred. She could barely make out the shape of Luna dropping down from above, swinging her staff down for a heavy blow.

Lin instinctively raised her talons, grabbing hold of the staff just as it was about to strike. She felt Luna briefly struggle to yank the staff from her talons, and kicked at the SilkWing's abdomen with both hind legs. Luna was sent reeling back, Lin wresting the staff from her talons in the process.

She got to her feet, shakily standing on her hind legs like the mech she had fought earlier, the staff in her talons. Her vision was still blurry, but Lin thought she could see Luna smiling excitedly back at her.

"You're pretty good." Luna wheezed.

Lin smiled, coughing briefly from sand that she had inhaled moments before. "Yeah, you too."

Lin's ears suddenly perked up, an odd song blazing from the black boxes hung high above. She saw Luna look up towards the entrance of the club, and turning her attention there as well, saw Hidden speaking with the proprietor of the establishment. He cast her a quick grin, holding out a talon in a thumb's up.

"Your odds are slim. The walls are thin, cavin' in. But there is still a way, you see. In just one mere percent of chance there's possibility."

Luna turned back to Lin, and Lin turned back to her, the two grinning eagerly at one another as the music ramped up all around them, the audience overflowing with excitement. The SilkWing pulled out another weapon, a shorter rod attached to a long chain that ended in a small ball that glowed with the same pulsating blue energy as the ends of the staff.

"Bring it on! 'Cause I'm just gonna grow up in the battle hey!"

The two leapt forward simultaneously, Luna swinging her stun mace forward while Lin prepared to block with the staff. She had only occasionally wielded a spear back in her timeline, but hopefully that that minuscule amount of experience would pay off.

The mace swung overhead, and Lin ducked out of the way, the chain barely missing her snout as she fell backward. She swept the staff towards Luna's legs, the SilkWing leaping up to the roof of the cage.

"And I never wanna see you cry. I will be screamin' till you find the way."

Lin felt a small button on the staff's surface, and pressing it broke it in two once again. She rolled out of the way as Luna dove down from above, the mace flailing behind her. She swung it out towards Lin once again, Lin leaping over it and stomping on the chain, preparing to strike Luna with the rods.

Luna pulled the chain out from under her, causing Lin to lose her balance before she could land a hit. She reconnected the two rods, swinging the staff in an attempt to strike Luna from afar, but the SilkWing had already leapt out of range by then.

"Now I'll strike back!"

Luna flung out the mace once again, this time ensnaring the staff. She readied to yank it from Lin's talons, but Lin separated the staff once again. Lin yanked the snared half towards her, pulling Luna closer as she struck one of her hind legs with the other.

The SilkWing stumbled, her leg numbed by the rod, but before Lin could land another hit, she opened her maw and unleashed a deafening screech, amplified by two small devices hooked around her ears. Lin stumbled back, clutching her ears as Luna got to her feet.
"Yeah we're head to toe in daybreak. Soldiers, follow me now."

Lin felt the chain of Luna's mace wrap around her left hind leg, and before she knew it she had been pulled to the sandy ground. Luna dove in for a pin, but Lin rolled out of the way, only to be met by the sight of another flash canister heading straight for her. She swatted it aside, the canister's blinding flash instead heading straight back into Luna's face. The SilkWing fell back, dropping the mace as she clawed at her eyes.

Yeah, not so great when you're the one getting blinded, is it?

"This fire burnin' in my heart. It will keep lightin' up to part the way."

Lin dove in to strike with both rods, only for Luna to hold up one of her talons, a shield of energy erupting from a device on her palm. The rods bounced harmlessly off of the shield, and Luna swung her other fist straight into Lin's chest, the EarthWing realizing just too late that it had another one of the devices Hidden had used strapped to it. She was sent flying backward once again, the mace's chain winding itself around her hind leg even tighter.

Lin staggered to her feet, Luna doing the same. She felt an unrelenting vigor course through her veins. Maybe it was just the upbeat music, but Lin had never felt more pumped up for a fight in her life. Her talons clenched, eyes locked with her opponent.

"We gotta stand up and go with the pride. It's like the sun risin' way over the clouds."

The two sprung forward, locked in a close quarters melee, with Lin now on the offensive as she repeatedly sung the rods at Luna, the SilkWing barely able to deflect them with her energy shield as she struggled to land a hit on Lin with her other talon.

As the fighting continued, Lin started to tune out the world around her, the cheering crowd, the loud music, all of it. All she could think about was her fight with Luna. It was as if the two had slipped into an entirely different world, detached from everything else, their minds laser focused on besting their opponent.

Eventually, Luna gave up on attempting to land another hit with her power glove, instead dropping down under Lin's onslaught and grabbing hold of the mace's handle as it flailed from Lin's leg. She grinned excitedly at the prospect of reclaiming one of her weapons and gaining the upper talon once again.

She yanked the chain away from Lin, a resounding snap sounding throughout the club.

Lin fell to the ground, her focus ripped away as pain erupted through her leg. She writhed as she tried to grasp at the broken limb, only to flinch back in pain.

Luna stood to the side for a bit, the smile on her face slowly vanishing as she realized what had happened. The music continued to play, but the crowd's cheering had already started to diminish.

"Hey, Lin! You alright?" Luna asked, attempting to move closer.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine…." Lin groaned in response, trying her best not to wince in pain, "It's just a broken leg, I've had worse." She tried to get back to her feet, but immediately laid back down on the sandy ground, panting, her leg feeling like it had been set on fire.

The music stopped, and a pair of dragons, a pale brown MudWing and a deep blue SilkWing, both wearing white coverings, rushed into the cage with a wide stretcher. The SilkWing examined Lin's leg, the EarthWing flinching away as they unwound the chain still wrapped around her dark brown scales.

The SilkWing muttered something to the MudWing, who rose a talon toward the SandWing proprietor up above.

"Due to serious injury inflicted upon her opponent, Luna is disqualified." he said as Lin was hoisted onto the stretcher, his voice booming from the black boxes in the rafters. "Lin wins by default."

The two medics pressed a button on the side of the stretcher, causing it to levitate into the air with Lin on top. As she was carried out of the cage, Lin saw Luna standing awkwardly at its center, watching her go with a look of worry. As she crossed the fenced-in walkway she heard the hushed murmurs of the dragons in the bleachers, unsure whether or not they should be applauding.

And as she was taken back through her cell and the armory toward the on-site medical clinic, she couldn't help but feel irritated at the fact that a broken leg had ruined what likely would have been the best fight in her life.

The Pancake House Fight Club's Medical Wing

Early Morning

The medical wing of the fight club was a small, pale blue room, with three dragon sized cots lined against the back wall, and some shelves of medical supplies along the opposite. The room was bathed in a bluish-white light from long tube-like bulbs that hung from the ceiling. Lin was laying on the closest cot to the entrance, listening to Hidden argue with the proprietor about the prize money while the SilkWing doctor wrapped her leg.

"What do you mean we can't have the money?!" Hidden asked irritably, "Don't you have any cash, or coins, or something?"

The proprietor shook his head, flustered. "I'm sorry, but without an account in the Alliance Digital Banking System, we can't pay you!"

"Of course it's only a crypto currency…." Hidden grumbled under his breath, as a familiar greenish-yellow SilkWing stepped into the room.

"Sorry to intrude, but I hear you're having money issues?" Luna asked. She glanced over at Hidden, who looked at her with suspicion. "Let me take the money. I can get you set up with an account and pay you back once we leave."

"Hold on." he said, "You're not trying to swindle us here, are ya?"

"If you're unable to take it, then the prize would go to me anyway moron." Luna stated. Hidden turned to the proprietor, who nodded in affirmation.

The SilkWing doctor finished wrapping Lin's leg, explaining that it should be better in the next week or two, so long as she kept off of it. Lin briefly looked back at her cast, tapping it with a claw. The wrapping seemed similar in concept to the casts she had seen in her timeline, though the materials were far different, as was the odd fluid that had been injected into her body through a tiny needle.

"Wow, two weeks?" Hidden mused, helping Lin off of the cot, "In our world it usually takes a couple months at least!"

He was interrupted by Luna clearing her throat, standing expectantly by the door. "So, do you want my help or not, because I'm taking the money either way."

Hidden turned to Lin, who nodded. "I trust her. Besides, she owes me for ruining our fight earlier." she said with a sly grin.

Luna chuckled. "Hey, don't push your luck. I could easily run out of here with the money if I felt like it."

Luna turned to the proprietor, activating the hologram device around her ear, and the SandWing did the same. The two of them stood manipulating the projections for a short while, Lin watching the light show without a clue as to what any of it meant.

"Alright, let's get outta here." Luna said, shutting off the projections. She waved to the proprietor before stepping out of the clinic, Hidden helping to support Lin behind her. They made their way through the armory, and up the steep metal stairs, Lin carefully ascending on three legs.

As they made their way across the upper walkway, they passed by some of the remaining spectators, clapping and cheering as the champion walked by. Lin would have felt more pride, had she not been relying on the support of the annoying SandWing that had been knocked out in the first round.

"I think I can take it from here." she said as they stepped outside, brushing Hidden aside, "I still have three working legs to stand on."

"Suit yourself." Hidden said, turning to Luna, "So, how exactly do you plan on helping us here?"

"I'd need to see your PDA first." she explained. Hidden squinted at her, but with a nod from Lin, he pulled the flat device out of his bag, sighing. Luna sat on the gravel path that led to the club's entrance, inspecting the device in her front talons.

"Moons, this is some low tech stuff here, are you sure this is a PDA?" she asked. Hidden nodded. "Well, I'm surprised you were even able to hook it up to the club's sound system." she continued.

"So, are you able to help us?" Hidden asked impatiently, visibly anxious at seeing another dragon holding his PDA.

Luna shook her head. "Sadly, I don't think I could help here. I'm used to PDAs like this." she explained, pointing at the small device around her ear. "But, I think I know someone in town who could help."

She returned the PDA to Hidden, who quickly stuffed it back into his bag. The trio walked back towards the main road of Sundew Avenue, Luna taking the lead.

"Say, you seem to know this place pretty well." Lin stated as they made their way back into the more clustered parts of the community. "Is it your hometown?"

Luna was silent, her expression briefly changing to one of remorse, before she shook her head and regained her composure. "No, it's not. I've just come through here a few times" she explained, "I'm...not the type to set down roots."

Lin could tell the topic troubled the SilkWing, and she decided it would be best not to press any further. She did, of course, have all of their money.

They turned a corner onto Swordtail Street, a circular roadway running around the central plaza and bisecting each of the radial avenues of Moss Town. Eventually, they arrived back at Blue Avenue, the familiar bright signs and spinning holograms still as flashy as ever.

"Hold on, I know this place…." Hidden remarked, as they approached a familiar building with dark wooden doors. "Moons above, it's that pawn shop! This is where you were taking us?"

"What, is something wrong with it?" Luna asked, "The owner and I go a little ways back, and he's pretty good with tech."

"Nah, it's nothing." Hidden said, "We just came through here earlier looking for information. That's all." Luna nodded, and the two stepped into the shop, Hidden pausing in the doorway to address Lin.

"Hey, Lin. You coming?" he asked.

Lin shook her head, leaning against the faded brick wall. "I think I'll be fine out here."

Hidden shrugged, and stepped into the building, leaving Lin alone outside on the empty street. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind as she let the soft thrumming and buzzing of the various machines on the nearby buildings wash over her. For what felt like the first time that night, she was finally able to relax, and let all of the worries that had piled up over her in the past few hours slowly wash away.

Her moment of tranquility didn't last long, though, as soon the heavy doors swung open and Hidden and Luna came walking back onto the empty street, the SandWing holding a small metallic sphere in his talon.

"I can't believe you just blew almost half of your winnings on that thing." Luna exclaimed, staring at the local distortion array.

"Well I can't believe that questionnaire I had to fill out. 'What timeline were you born in?'? That's what we've been trying to figure out this whole time!" Hidden exclaimed, stuffing the sphere and his PDA into his bag.

"Honestly, I just lied on most of those questions." Luna bluntly stated, "It's not like the Grand Allies are gonna come after me."

"The who in the what now?"

"The head honchos of the Alliance."

"Oh."

The two turned to Lin, who had been silently watching them speaking. She stood up straight, grunting as she balanced herself on three legs. "So, what now?"

"We should probably head back to the shuttle." Hidden began, "Then we can regroup with the others in this timeline, stock up on supplies, and ask around a bit more."

The three began walking down the cobbled street, back towards the central plaza, when Luna spoke up.

"Listen, you probably won't find any useful info in a backwater timeline like this." she explained. "Your best bet would be to head deeper into Alliance territory, you'll be more likely to run into someone who knows where to go."

"And, which way would that be?" Hidden asked.

Luna let out an exasperated sigh. "Just...head in the direction of timeline 3027-20. It's a long trip, but you should probably meet someone helpful on the way there."

Hidden nodded, and looked around the street, pausing when he spotted a weapons dealer nestled in between a butcher shop and a small inn. "Hold on just a sec, I'll be right back!" he said, an excited grin on his face. He darted into the shop, leaving Lin and Luna standing in the middle of the street.

Luna smirked. "How do you put up with him?" she asked.

Lin shrugged. "He's not that bad, once you've spent about a week with him, that is."

Luna chuckled, and turned to the EarthWing. She dug around in a pouch strapped around her neck, retrieving a small, black rectangular device with an even smaller button on one side, and held it out to Lin.

"Wh-what's this?" Lin asked, grabbing the device and examining it in her talons.

"It's a tracker." Luna explained, "The moment you push that button there, it'll send out a signal to let me know exactly where you are."

Lin frowned, lightly brushing the button with a claw. "And why would I want something like this?" she asked.

"Well, the multiverse is a big place, and how else am I supposed to find you so we can have our rematch?"

The two shared a knowing grin, and Luna began to walk away, turning back to the EarthWing one last time. "Good luck with your quest, or whatever." she said, before activating the two devices on her sides. The machines lifted her into the air, the SilkWing holding out her wings to stabilize herself, and rocketed away faster than the fastest SkyWing, disappearing into another portal.

Hidden emerged from the shop shortly thereafter, holding a staff that looked oddly similar to the one Lin had taken from Luna in the arena. He stared at the spot where Luna had been standing in confusion, and then at Lin.

"Where the moons did Luna get off to?" he asked.

"She left." Lin stated, slightly amused at Hidden's mild bewilderment.

"Figures." he grumbled, and he paced over to Lin, holding out the staff. "Anyway, I got ya something!"

Lin grabbed the staff, holding it in her foretalon, the other holding the tracking device in an enclosed fist. "Is this that staff I grabbed in the arena?" she asked. It certainly looked similar, and it even had a button that she assumed split it in half. The only difference was that this one lacked any sort of protective padding, instead being a bare metal pole.

"Yep! An omnistaff...apparently. You were the one to win the prize money, so I thought you deserved a little something too." he said.

"How much did it cost?" Lin bluntly asked, twirling the staff into an upright position.

"Uh...20,000 scales." he said, "A bit of a steal if you ask me."

Lin sighed, and slid the staff under her foreleg. She turned to the direction of the plaza, the willow tree just barely visible between the flashy neon lights.

"We should probably head back to the shuttle now, call in the others." Hidden said, stretching out his back. His stomach grumbled, the SandWing looking at Lin in slight embarrassment. "Guess I'm a bit hungry too, what do you say to some pancakes?"

AN:

I hope you enjoyed the fight, and thanks again to Pt35 for their suggestions! I'll admit that I had a little trouble writing the end of this one, and eventually scrapped an entire scene, but I think it turned out decent enough. Still not sure how school affect the release schedule, but I'll just have to see.

Stay tuned!