Started working full time, so expect these less as I'm usually tired when I get home and just want to sleep/relax. Whilst I do enjoy writing, there is more work put into it when it comes to most entertainment.

Elder Cryptid: Edge-tastic.

Abel Sephaos: Senpai plz. I'll think of a DS2 continuation. But I'm hoping to have this one as a single story on its own. Then I'll probably just do a DS2 one on its own as well. It just makes it easier for me to not have to worry about all the extra shit they tried to put on the lore in Ds2.

Hadoukendave: Not a bad idea Dave. Not a bad idea at all. I'll mull it over.

Start

Menma slowly managed to rouse himself from his resting place, the soft ground was actually not that bad for a pillow all things considered. He grabbed his sheathed Chaos Edge and idly noticed a small chain link at the end of the pommel, ending in a crimson bell.

Fuck thinking about why, he was learning just to accept the little shit that happened. He stretched out and heard cracks, creeks and snaps. Wincing he pat himself down only to hear the sound of his claws tapping against what sounded like marble. Looking down he saw his armour had coated his whole body, his pants and boots, any cloth really, were destroyed and lay around him in tatters of cloth and metal.

Menma felt his body patting it down in confusion, his smooth segments of demonic plated armour had gained a scaled appearance, from a surface observation it would appear his draconian scales had melded with his demonic armour, his boots had been replaced by a trio of metallic talons with another single talon coming from his heel. His knees had a duo of spikes rising upwards from the shin segment, he was tempted to see how much damage he could pull off with that to someone's face. He idly noticed a pair of coat-like plate-scale tails falling from his waist to his shins, covering the outside of his legs further, and giving a soft clink whenever it came into contact with his leg-armour.

Both of his hands were clad in armour identical to his original corrupted arm, glowing azure fingers and dusky red armour, the same glassy looking segment covering his forearm as fire swelled and stirred just under the surface, the skull remained on his right arm whilst what appeared to be a short folded wing growing from his left shoulder. A thought occurred to him as he touched his face once more he heard the metallic clinking of his fingers against his armour.

He couldn't really see his own face but his whole head was coated in armour there was a snout, he could vaguely make it out as being somewhat draconian but he'd need a mirror to confirm, as he was feeling over his forehead he noticed his a part of his vision went dark, repeating this process many time he grew concerned as he could only assume he had an extra eye.

The sides of his head had a quartet of curled horns, the top pair twisting back towards his lower jaw whilst the bottom curled around the top and spiked upwards, he did idly notice that black spiked mass he called hair spilled out over his shoulders like a mane, odd that it wasn't burnt away by his armour but who gives a shit.

Shaking his head he opened his mouth, the armour accommodating such a movement easily, his tongue felt slightly slimmer he rolled it around and found it forked, running his finger along the armour around his jaw he felt several faux teeth.

"Alright..." He noticed his voice being slightly course and steely, like it was ever so slightly layered. he could tell because he knew his voice, but someone who hadn't heard him speak a lot probably wouldn't notice it. "...This is a little much..." He muttered, shaking his head and leaving the hollow ashen tree, leaping across the room and beginning up the steep incline out of the arena.

He clutched his Chaos Edge like a security blanket, trying to keep his resolve in his choice. If it worked it would be worth it, he could just disappear after he'd dealt with all the shit he needed to, so what he looked like didn't really matter. But it was a little shocking to have all of his skin turn into metallic-scaled armour. Climbing out of the hole wasn't so hard it was more or less the extra weight he needed to adjust to with his new skin, it wasn't that bad but it did set him off balance slightly.

And having three toes instead of a boot was a little off-putting as well. He closed two of his eyes, his third remaining open, but with a small effort he could blink it. It was interesting, everything seemed much clearer than he remembered with the extra eye.

The trip was relatively quiet, a short burst of flames from his maw incinerated the Titanite Demon he ran past in his attempts to stick a sword through Quela's head. He felt a loose sorrow from his sword, his third eye looking at it whilst his other two kept looking ahead, wow that was disorientating.

"I think you're pathetic for allowing yourself to be struck by those flames. But then again, this new shell is much better than the human one." Kurama's voice cut through his mind and made him frown, though this made him flinch as the nerve endings were bound to the armoured shell and such things could not be conveyed by anything but flesh. He rubbed his tender metallic cheek with a sorrowful sigh, he liked frowning.

"I am deeply sorry..." Once more the Witch apologized, Kurama's gruff scoff forced its way to the forefront once more, effectively cutting his connection to Quela, Menma shut down his mind forcefully, cutting the beast out so he could have his walk back in peace.

Menma sealed up his more major collection of weaponry into his leather harness, somehow it survived the flames but it did, leaving him with only his Chaos Edge and his Monolith, he didn't really use his other weapons and Oscar had long since passed it use. Though he'd keep the weapon to remember the man who allowed him freedom.

"Gotta go to Anor Londo after this. Drop in and say hi. That'll be fun, can't wait for the reactions I get." Menma shook his head almost facepalming at the idea of how Gwyndolin would react. Probably badly. Then he had to somehow put the Lordvessel to use, he could ask Frampt but fuck Frampt. He also never ended up checking out that disturbance that Kurama sensed down in Darkroot.

"I should make a fucking list at this rate." He murmured, shaking his head. When he had a chance to sit for a bit he'd make sure to do just that. The draconian demon passed through empty halls of Izalith, ascending to the elevator Orange began to tell him about, that would rise directly back into Quelaag's Domain.

His stomach contorted in discomfort, from the looks of it he'd purged all the chaotic power and instead forced it into himself, how would they react? Too many hurdles if you asked him.

He crossed his arms and closed all three of his eyes, feeling his body rise on the circular stone platform, only the soft clinking noise of his armour being his company. He liked the silence, it was better than noise anyway. Stepping of the elevator he was greeted with the joy filled calls of Eingyi, "Oh, there you are! It's wonderful! Simply wonderful! It's all as it was before!" His elated voice called to the trio eyed demi-beast.

Menma's golden orbs opened and shifted down to the noisy creature, only to blink as he bore no eggs, no it seemed his body was strengthened enough to stand on two feet, though he was hunched quite badly, his skin still pallid and pale but he looked a great deal better than the disgusting creature from before.

"You look...Better." Commented the armoured man, getting an excited nod from the man.

"Oh yes indeed! It's as I said! All has returned to as it was! We egg-bearers freed from our duties by the flames, the Fair Lady and Mistress Quelaag have becoming completely humanoid once more! A day for celebration indeed!" Chattered the man, though Menma strode past him and walked into the enclave.

It was quite the scene a collection of ashen skinned, beautiful women with varying colours of hair and eyes all turned to him almost in sync, reflexively he took a step back though the complete forms of Quelaag and Quelara did almost make him smile, he quickly remembered how much frowning hurt and quickly stopped thinking about doing so.

"I did it." Said Menma, pointedly to the black haired woman who had the healthiest looking skin out of everyone in the room, she merely rolled her eyes and demanded he come over as he did so she managed to stand and clutch him around the waist, placing her head against his hot chest.

"It would seem you traded our corruption for your own." Stated the woman, the only response she got was a shrug, which made her scowl up at his three hauntingly golden eyes. "Three? Really. So tacky." She insulted mildly, releasing him and returning to her seat, Kirk assisting with her seating. The Knight of Thorns like a quiet observant ghost who occasionally dipped his toes into this plane of existence considering how much he made his presence known.

Quelara looked up at him with misty silver eyes and grasped his hand, her face was set into a mixture of grief, relief and sadness. He merely pat her hand and looked to his teacher who had much the same look.

"It brings a tear to my eyes to see them all together again." Though she did notice a missing person, "Would it be too much trouble to ask where Quiran is?" Asked the woman in his head, Menma made the guess she meant Discharge.

"What happened to the big guy?" Asked Menma, shifting the mood in the room considerably.

"Asleep. What a little slacker." Quelahr chimed the redhead with a fond smile, her telepathy-thing no longer being used. "You have no idea how grateful we are to you, dear one." Said the woman with a certain familiar twinkle in her eye. He would have snickered and been more than ready to reciprocate her advance but something came to his mind for a moment.

"OH GOD MY DICK MIGHT BE GONE!" He clasped at the sides of his face and slowly looked down at his lower body, seeing a familiar lump around his crotch but it was smothered by his armoured plates, "Must remember to check that." He thought, only to catch various stares as he had his mini-freakout.

"Someones seems to be a little concerned about tawdry things, dear one. Filthy filthy thoughts." Quelahr tsk'ed at him and shook her head, "It would seem in place of speech you can communicate in a way similar to our own." She observed, her ruby orbs locked onto the split in his mouth-plate, spying the flesh underneath, "Hmm...Bonded to your shell, yes?" Came the rhetorical question, he merely nodded.

"So what? You swapped out our curse to mix yourself up in this? Foolish boy." Scolded Quelana sadly, Menma shrugged his wing twitching with the movement, with the nerve endings still extremely tender, he flinched grasping at his shoulder in attempts to soothe it.

"...I have places to be. I'll see you all some other time." He said to them the steely layering barely registering on their ears, weaving through the crowd of confused women and quickly making move to leave, they all followed his form greatly saddened by what had happened to him, they would repay him for his sacrifice, they swore it.

Quelaag was just happy she didn't have to worry about seducing him anymore, now that she had all she wanted.

Kirk looked at the almost shattered expression on the Fair Lady's face, a real heartstring tugger it would be, were he not a man-slaughtering murderer. Still, she looked pretty sad. The form of his fellow Servant ascended the stairs as he shook his head. Kirk needed to step up his game if he was going to make use of himself now.

Blighttown

Menma walked across the plagued swamp waters, with each step the waters around him were reduced to steam, then the steam was incinerated, those fucking mosquitoes turned to ash the second they entered the same Zip Code as him and the Infested Barbarians gave him an even wider birth. Menma was silent as he tried to keep his pounding heart calm, he was terrified, he'd never ever thought he'd be caged up in his own skin like this.

It made him fear, was this permanent? How could he even begin to reverse something like this? His triplet amber gaze fell to his feet as he walked towards the giant tree in the centre of the swamp, "I'm scared." He admitted to himself, he was confused and everything happened so quickly, how was he even supposed to deal with something like this?

A wave of flames scorched the swamp around him leaving an angry red scar in the land as he climbed the tree's root and entered into the hollow, oddly enough he found a bonfire with a click of his finger it blazed to a burning blue flame, he paused and looked at his hand and then to the flames starring curiously at the azure haze of heat.

"Wonderful. I love it when more shit I can't explain happens. It's my favourite." He griped internally with a shake of his head, ignoring the flames for now and stepping forward to begin his descent though his talons were not toes and his balance was off, so he fell. Like a fucking rock did he fall. Flames coated as he was falling like a meteorite to the base of the tree, he didn't even bother screaming at this point, it'd just be uncomfortable.

So he fell and struck the very roots of the hollow tree with a tremendous thunderous boom all the creatures that inhabited the tree were dead the second his fiery form passed by souls flooded his form but he cared little for it, rising from the crater he'd caused the demon brushed himself off and exited, stepping out into...

Ash Lake

The most beautiful area he'd ever seen in his entire life. Menma's golden eyes were wide as he took in the subtle greys of the foggy air, the massive rising pillars in the distance that reminded him of tree's, the dark, dark blue water that sat still as glass around the sand...No not sand, he reached down to grab a fistful and rubbed his fingers through it.

Ash. The ash itself was the landmass, "This land...It seems dreadfully similar to what the world once was, under the Dragons...Rule is probably a strong word, but you understand what I mean, yes?" Came Quela's voice, Menma nodded silently she looked through his eyes and took in the land before them.

"This was where it all ended really, I can feel it in the air. Where the last dragons were slain and where we claimed this world as our own...It seems so very long ago and yet, like it was just yesterday." She reminisced whilst Menma walked down the 'beach', the single strip of land as his guide.

The corner of his eye spotted a Hydra, though this one looked considerably older with almost black scales, many small scars decorating its body, it shell covered in a thick sheen of what appeared to be coral, one of its head merely gazed upon him disinterestedly before it returned to resting. This pleased him, he was in no mood to fight anything right now, he just wanted to sit. Think. Probably have a nervous breakdown or two, who know's this evening could get crazy.

His hair gently shifted as he walked, the slightest of breezes blowing past what could be the lowest point he'd ever been to. Maybe. The geography of this place was sketchy at best.

Menma heard footsteps, a pair in fact. He paused his stride and watched as two loosey misty forms solidified in his world, he would have raised an eyebrow were he able, A pair of very naked humanoid dragons, there skin a brown-purple colour with boney-stone looking segments over vital organs, their heads large and filled with a set of razor sharp teeth, both had rich gold coloured eyes, the only difference between the two was that one was thicker of build, with more muscle, whilst the other had curvature befitting a woman.

Both looked at him, then at each other, the female shrugged, the male rolled his eyes. A very human act, "What business have you down here, demonic one?" Asked the male, his voice raspy but strong.

"…" Menma said nothing, he doubted these two could commune like the Izalithians could, so he merely shrugged.

"You traversed the great hollow on a mere whim then?" Asked the female, sounding thoroughly befuddled by the idea. He nodded, technically it was truth. He made the trip now on a whim, he would have come here at any point, he just felt like doing it now.

"Not much for speakin' are ya?" Asked the male, crossing his arms and frowning as best his form would allow.

Menma opened his mouth and showed off the fact that his skin was bonded, "Ooh..." Winced the woman, the man grimacing. "Looks like he can't speak..." She told the male who once more rolled his eyes.

"I noticed that ya daft tit. Well if you want, go on ahead through the pass here. You'll find something startlin' just don't attack it straight away. You'll get what I mean." Said the male, Menma merely nodded once more he didn't really feel like explaining it just hurt like a motherfucker to talk verbally at the moment, and that he was sure it'd be better later. No. He just wanted to be left alone really.

So he passed the drake-people, noticing the tiny wings on their backs and almost smiled in amusement, he heard the woman's voice, "See that little thing on his shoulder, 'ow come it's bigger than ours? Not really fair if you ask me." She complained, the males answer was an annoyed grunt.

Menma ignored the exchange, yes usually he would be abuzz with joy at the sight of others, but right now he just wanted quiet. Walking down the path he noticed something large and black sitting in some nest, he couldn't make it out well from how far away he was with the foggy air but as he approached the woman in his sword gasped in shock,

"It's one of them...It escaped? But...So close to the ending summit. How very queer." Came the witches words once more, Menma stepped towards the creature it's golden eyes opening and staring down at him, Menma merely tilted his head to it, it didn't move initially, but ever so slightly, like a creaking door, it's neck shifted into a replicant of his action. Menma sat before the creature, leaning his back against its nest, it didn't seem to care and returned to just...Existing.

Menma closed his eyes and lay his sword across his lap, diving into his subconscious.

Mindscape

Menma stood atop the fiery peninsula with a impassive expression, within his mind he had no armour, just his usual form garbed in a black shirt and trousers, shoes didn't really do him any good as he was in his own head. The giant head of his jailed beast lay only a few feet from his position, Quela seated directly next to him.

"Never expected to have a shell in place of skin." He admitted, though it was mostly rhetorical in nature, he usually just talked to himself in place of others, it was easier that way.

"Stop being a coward. Just accept it." Grunted Kurama.

This was not the best thing to say.

"My entire body has changed you rancid little cunt!" He snarled, the beast looking at him in surprise. "I don't have fucking skin anymore! I have THREE EYES! How would you like it if I changed you huh!? Turn you into a little human and see how long you last? Make you a woman and set you off into a village naked as a fucking whore and see how long you it takes until you come crawling back to me hollering and screaming that it's not fair!" Menma then punched the beast right in the muzzle and knocked him a good few feet away, the creature stared flabbergasted at him whilst the Witch looked deeply shocked.

"All you ever do it prod, goad and poke at me. Do you have any idea how much I fucking hate you!?" Snarled the Demon. His hands turning into flame as he struck at the creature once more, though this time with an uppercut, followed up by a knee. It'd been a long time since Kurama had been thrown ass over head, but this was definitely a strong reminder of it as he rolled down the hellscape that was Menma's mind.

The Uzumaki quivered with loosed anger, his mental projection fractioning as his mind was clouded with poisonous hatred. He turned and sat back where he was previously, though his projection was quickly dissolving he saw the sad eyes of the woman beside him and merely shook his head. Trying to calm his mind and stabilize his projection, with a few calming breathes he managed it, feeling a soothing hand on his shoulder, without looking he just placed a hand over it and closed his eyes.

Running fingers through his hair he knotted his fingers through, though suddenly felt himself hit by vertigo and flying through the air off the cliff, landing with a skid onto the charred grounds below, Menma got to his feet and was met face to face with a pissed beast, he met the creatures gaze easily, his form shimmering to his real one, armour and all, a thick smoke blooming from his nostrils as he gave a rough exhale.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Growled out the beast, Menma gave a 'come hither' gesture that seemed to irk it severely, Kurama swiped at him followed by one of his tails to ghost into a second strike in case of a block, Menma rolled directly backwards avoiding the strike entirely, before dashing forward and leaping into a roundhouse to the lower jaw, Kurama weaved his head away and smashed the armoured freak into the ground.

Menma got up without a even a bat of his eyelash and slammed headfirst into the beasts throat making Kurama choke and strangle out a breath, Menma lashed the creature with a whip of flames, wrapping it around the beasts throat and swinging, Kurama's eyes widened as he was once again thrown like a ragdoll, slamming right into the nearest burning tree.

Instead of setting his fur aflame it just vanished away from the mindscape, like a forgotten memory.

Menma slapped his open palms together and grinded the heels of his palms against one another, the friction creating several sparks, each of the sparks flew into the around him and became large soccerball sized orbs of flame, with a punch the Bijuu was slammed with hundreds of fireballs making the red fox cry out in pain as its fur was charred.

Menma released another cloud of smoke from his nostrils as he gathered torrent into his throat, with a powerful roar Kurama was bathed in more flames. Though he seemed to be thoroughly fed up and blew the flames out with a swing from all of his tails in one bunch, then proceeded to launch a small Bijuudama at the draconic demon, Menma leapt into the air allowing him to escape the blast, though the beast seemed to have anticipated this and released orbs of charka from its form that turned into a hailstorm of explosive power, Menma's form was slowly taken over by the volatile chakra violently exploding against his armoured skin.

Landing on the ground limply Kurama stalked forward, his fur still smoking as he moved to smash his jail cell into the ground only to be met with a blast of blue fire to the face, screaming in pain the Bijuu shielded his head best he could, though he felt the flames turned away from his face, Kurama uncovered his face to see a pair of ghostly blue flaming hands, projections of Menma's own in flame, that then proceeded to knock the everloving shit out of him.

"Who's top dog now bitch!?" Roared Menma, oddly enough his charcoal coloured hair burnt as, if not more, intensely as his flames a raging blue. He grabbed the beasts neck and slammed the other fist into its stomach, repeatedly slamming the flaming projection into it over and over again before grabbing his tails and slamming him into the ground, before turning and flipping him back onto the other side, each time he turned a little, before long the battered fox had created a mote-like crater around the raging demon.

Kurama fizzled from view and lunged, fangs bared and ready to draw blood, only to feel a stinging punch of the blue fists once more, punching him in the jaw-joint and locking it into place, Menma delivered a palm strike to the creature sternum, due to its humanoid upper body this was quite easy, pushing back the creature once more.

Menma placed both hands together again, grinding the heels of his palms and creating the sparks again, though this time instead of releasing them into the air he forced them all back into his palm, forcing them to spin into a fine, chaotically devastating orb. The telltale rings formed around it and Menma leapt into the air lobbed it like a ball directly into the beasts chest, "Chaos Rasenringu!" The best part about being the embodiment of Chaos Flame, was that fire was easier to control than breathing, so his creation lost none of its power through its trip, so Kurama felt the full sting of the machination of ingenuity.

The explosion leveled the area around the beast, Kurama was left furless and heavily scarred, obviously with his form being composed of chakra it would take only a few moments to fully recover, as Bijuu regenerated with godlike speed when compared to humans.

Menma landed on the ground, his golden eyes filled with loathing, "You are nothing but a pest. I will kill you if you keep testing me." Swore the draconic demon with venom in his voice, the Witch watched the display with awe, the sheer force of his power was enough to quake deep within his soul, where they all currently resided. Menma's mental projection began to crack with random streaks of light before shattering as he left the mindscape.

Quela looked where he previously occupied for a few moments before her eyes turned to the slowly regenerating fox, it looked deeply shamed, a wounded pride and ravaged body. She couldn't help but feel like this was not the last of these exchanges.

Outside

Menma's eyes opened as he leant back fully, looking up at the dragon who peered back down at him. Its arms shifting slowly, producing a stone, Menma reached up and grabbed it, looking at it curiously, rubbing his thumb over it, it had a vaguely body-looking picture upon it. The creature merely made and almost impossible to notice nod at it in his hands, Menma looked at the stone intently before he felt his form snared in a soft white light.

End of Chapter

Raxychaz!