Rage opened his eyes slowly as he felt something brush against his cheek. He saw blades of grass blowing in the gentle breeze. Startled, he sat up. He was in a thick jungle. He knew this place though. The thick jungle was part of his Inner World. He was a Mobian again like previous visits.
"Another dream…?" He asks with concern. He was fed up with all of the dreams he had been having over the last few weeks since he arrived in Equestria. None of which were necessarily pleasant.
He stood up and looked around. The thick jungle was dark and unnerving. The only light came from that of the moon above. Knowing he didn't thrive in the dark he held his hand up and set it ablaze with fire magic to use as a torch. The dark wood of the trees glowed warmly with the light.
Rage felt another presence. One he didn't recognize. He walked cautiously feeling the presence get closer and closer. "Blade?" He asks aloud. Next to him the dragon appears.
"I am here." It spoke. "You sense it too?"
"Yeah…" the red hedgehog says as they move through a thick bit of underbrush. On the other side they came face to face with a gray cat clothed in a clean white robe with red embroidery that was accompanied by a small spiritual bird.
Both jumped in shock as they came across the other. The cat looked at Rage with a glare that Rage returned showing he was ready for anything. "It can't be…" the cat finally spoke in a female voice that was very mellow, even if she was being defensive in her actions. "You're the one?"
"Who are you?" Rage asks.
"Who am I?!" The cat scoffs. "I should be asking that."
"Bureijingukaosu is that you?" The bird spirit asks.
"Riviera?" The dragon asks in shock.
"The one who sent out that energy was some kid?" The cat asks in shock "who are you?!"
"What energy?" Rage asks. He was confused. He hadn't sent anything out calling for someone. How did this strange cat find him let alone reach him here?
"I followed a surge of Chaos Energy from a few days ago…it led me here." The cat says.
"This kid is a Chaos Guardian." The small bird apparently called Riviera says to this cat. "You know, you shouldn't be so quick to judge Vic."
"Chaos Guardian? That's impossible…I don't remember you." The cat tilts his head. He then looks at Blade. "Wait…that Blade of Chaos…"
"Bureijingukaosu." Rage states looking at the dragon spirit next to him. He then motions to himself "My name is Ragis Chaotic the Hedgehog. Though many know me as simply Rage."
"My name is Victoria the Cat. I am a Master of Life Chaos." She bows in greeting. "This is Riviera. My Blade of Chaos." She says using an open palm to gesture to the bird with her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" The bird says with a happy flutter.
"Life Chaos?" Rage asks, crossing his arms. He paused for a minute to reflect on his knowledge of Chaos variants. "That means you were a healer right?" he asks, uncrossing his arms.
Victoria nodded with a smile "I was. Not too many of us were interested in such a role." She stated. "Hundreds using the other forms of Elemental Chaos and here we were, the small group of Life Chaos users keeping them alive." She rolled her eyes. "What about you? What do you specialize in?"
"Uh…" Rage rubbed the back of his head unsure how to respond to that.
"He doesn't." Blade answers for him. "Rage is supposed to learn all forms of Elemental Chaos."
Victoria looked a bit surprised. "I see." She states rubbing her chin curiously. "So you're the one that Chaotix spoke of..."
"If you mean that whole 'Last Chaos Guardian' business then so I have been told." Rage scoffed, rolling his eyes. "They teach me a little and then send me on my way! Chaotix and Dex claimed that they couldn't teach me Elemental Chaos because it's dangerous to learn from anyone who wasn't deemed a master at it." He ranted. "I bet if they did teach me I'd have had Nix..."
"You fought Nix?" Victoria asks, her voice hinting at shock. Rage looked back at her and nodded.
"Yeah, once. Not all that long ago." He says. "Though he's taken over another body...one of a dear friend..."
Victoria looked at Rage with an open look showing she felt for him. "I..know what it's like to have your friends turned against you..." she says looking down. "During the Shadow War...so many of us...taken..."
"Taken?" Rage asks in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"It was terrible...Vlagh...the great God of Darkness...he took many of our less seasoned Guardians...and even some of the great ones...turned them against us. Had it not been for Chaotix and Chaos...who knows what would have happened." Victoria explains.
"Vic, I know you like to get all sentimental and everything...especially about the War but think about why we're here!" Riviera tweets.
The cat looked at the spirit bird and nodded, wiping some tears from her eyes. "Right. Right." she sniffed before looking at Rage. "I can only think of one reason we're here...to teach you Life Chaos."
"Excuse me?" Rage asks in shock. "You? Teach me?"
"I am a Master of it." Victoria nods. "There is an old technique. One that was taught to us by Chaos...how to share our abilities with another...pass them down so to speak..." she explains but frowns. "However...there's a price..." she said in a serious tone. Rage's heart jumped when he heard this. "If we were to use this ability...we'd die in a sense...no longer able to be in the physical world. Bound to the Chaos Realm for eternity..."
"Like Chaotix...and the others?" Rage asks, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a bit...more than that..." Riviera says. "She'd be unable to leave it. Not even through projection like Chaotix and Dex can..."
"Correct..." Victoria nods. "Though I have made peace with that fact. The Chaos Realm is beautiful and I am more than happy to live out the rest of time there...plus it gives me a chance to be with my loved one again..."
"You don't have to..." Rage says softly. "There's other ways..."
"Like what?" she asks him, her tail flicking in a mixture of frustration and curiosity.
"Come to the Chaos Realm with me." Rage suggests. "I mean you're here aren't you? Can't you just follow me there?"
Victoria smiled. "Young Rage, while I am here in your world...much like you, my real self exists somewhere in the waking world...however I am afraid I am trapped in a deep...dark place...one you'd never reach..." she sighs.
The cat looked at Rage with a gloomy look. "We all found ourselves there after Chaos' last gambit...we found ourselves unable to use our own powers...trapped with knowledge to escape but nigh the means to do so...when I felt your light...like a small lamp in the Darkness...I couldn't help but flock to it." She explains what had happened to them.
"Victoria..." Rage mutters unsure what to even say. His heart ached at the thought so many were trapped like that. Many he could help if given time.
"Your light...it burns so bright yet untempered..." She comments walking up to Rage and grabbing his hands. "Rage...promise me you'll continue to cast it into the shadows...so the others may find you..."
"Victoria hold on a-" Rage starts to object but the cat in front of him began to glow a light green and he cut off into a shocked shout as a rush of knowledge flowed into him. Her knowledge...Life Chaos...and her pain...
"Vic!" Riviera cries as her lifelong partner turns into small specks of yellow light and floats into the sky. The spiritual bird cried and Blade put a hand onto the back of the bird. "You damn fool..." the bird sobbed finally.
The dragon looked over to see Rage had taken a knee and had a hand over his chest. His face looked as if he was struggling. "Rage?" the dragon asks.
"Is...is this what it's like...to take another's power?" Rage asks, shivering from a swarm of emotions. "All of her pain...her memories?"
"Yes." Riviera says, fluttering over to him. "It's a technique taught to all who master any form of our powers, but we are told it's only to be used as a last resort...to protect our secrets..."
"What of you?" Rage asks after a brief silence "What will happen to you?"
"I'll...probably return to The Spirit Realm..." the bird sighs. "To wait for the end of time."
"Victoria's in the Chaos Realm now though...can't you stay with her?" Rage asks.
"The only way that could be done is if someone brought my physical form to her there...If there was an apprentice it'd be possible but..." Riviera sighs. "But you're claimed."
"That maybe but that doesn't mean I can't try!" Rage says. "I'll bond with you even if it's temporary!"
"Rage, do you know what you're saying?!" Blade exclaims, shocked Rage would even consider such an action.. "Taking a Second Blade of Chaos is forbidden for a reason! It's too much for one person to handle!"
"I have Victoria's power...part of her memories now...perhaps that's all I need to take you back to her." Rage says ignoring Blade's warning. "It's risky but I am positive, I can do it."
The small bird looked at Rage and nodded. "It's worth a try." she says. With that a sphere of water surrounded the bird and it turned into a pair of daggers. They dropped to the ground with a metallic clang. Rage walked up and reached out.
He felt a warm energy as he reached out. He grabbed one of the daggers in his right hand. Immediately he felt a searing pain shoot up his arm. He wanted to let go but his hand locked up, his whole arm in fact. He bared his teeth and shouts in pain.
"Rage!" Blade exclaims as he floats up closer to his master. A minute of agonizing pain went by before it subsided. Rage pants and looked at the small, elegant blue dagger in his hand. The handle looked like a bird's foot and an opal adorned the pommel. The blade was wavy but sharp.
He then used his other hand and picked up the other dagger. This one gave no such reaction. It was then Riviera appeared next to him. "By Chaos..." she tweets happily. "You did it!"
"Y-yeah..." Rage pants. "We should...get you to...The Chaos Realm..." he said, feeling himself getting light headed. It didn't take much else before he passed out.
The next time Rage opened his eyes he was in his bed at Twilight's. Slowly he sat up. His head pounded softly. It was then Riviera appeared in front of him. "Woah!" she exclaims. "I assumed you were on Mobius! This is...This is Equestria!"
"Y-yea...how did you know?" Rage asks as he gets out of bed.
"Many of us paid visits to the world. Though, even their leaders were unaware. Chaotix and Dranzer were the only two who ever met with them. Equestria is a nice place." the bird answers. "I can see why Chaos would choose someone from this World."
"I'm...not Equestrian." Rage says to his new friend. "I am a Mobian..."
"I see..." she looked over the red alicorn as Blade appeared as well.
"You can't hang for too long Rage." He warns "The longer you and Riviera stay together the more it's going to stress you...and you run the risk of being bound forever."
"I know. I know." Rage sighs. "You don't need to be so bossy." he grumps with a roll of his eyes. Riviera giggled at Rage's response.
"Seems like you two are like two peas in a pod." she comments.
"Funny." Blade says as Rage begins channeling a spell. "Now be quiet. He needs to focus." The dragon barked.
Rage, ignoring the two, focused himself. "Chaos Control!" He calls as a blinding light engulfed him and with that he was gone. Right as Twilight walked in.
"Rage?" She asks, raising an eye. He was gone. "Rage?!" she looked around in a panic. She had just heard him. She inhaled and calmed herself "Okay Twilight. I am sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why your friend from another world just disappeared..."
As for Rage he appeared in a large elegant fountain marking the center. "Well that was easier than I expected..." Rage comments.
"Considering the last time you did that we ended up in the water? I'd say so." Blade agrees.
"Water? You dropped in the fountain?" Riviera chuckles. "You really are new to this!"
"Yeah...I know..." Rage mutters. "It's taking some time...don't remind me..."
"Regardless, Victoria should be around now...right?" Riviera asks.
"I'd bet she's in the Council Building." Blade assumes. "If not catching up with Chaotix and them, searching for Lauren."
"Lauren?" Rage asks as he starts to walk. He knew of the lavender cat named Lauren. She was one of his first teachers. She taught him focus and control.
"Oh you'll see why." Riviera chuckled as she fluttered next to him.
It wasn't a long walk distance wise at least but Rage couldn't help but feel as if it was longer each time. The Council Building sat atop a perky hill with the Chaos Plaza on the base. A nice river that flowed from a magical source within the Council Room cut through the small village.
Rage made it to the door of the Council Building and opened it. Inside was a large gathering space. The Council Building held a few notable rooms among it was the Commons. The Council Room was the namesake and was historically where The Chaos Council met ages ago. The Great Hall was the other notable room; Rage remembered it quite well. It was where he was first brought after he was found by Chaotix.
In the farther side of the room Rage saw two familiar faces. A lavender female cat with long and vivid blue hair. Her green eyes were lit with a happiness Rage couldn't recall ever seeing from her.
Holding both of her hands was Victora. She on the other hand was crying. However she was smiling. Rage smiled too. As the two hugged Lauren's eyes met Rage's as she rested her head on Victoria's shoulders.
"Master Chaotic?" Lauren asks in her mellow, sweet voice. She and Victoria broke up the embrace and they both turned to the crimson hedgehog as he slowly walked up to them.
"I hope I am not interrupting…" he says awkwardly rubbing his neck.
"Not at all." Victoria smiled. "But what brings you here?"
"Here to talk to Dex or Chaotix?" Lauren asks. In response Rage shook his head.
"No. Actually I am here for Victoria." He answers looking at Victoria who shot up surprised.
"Whatever would you want with me?" She asks.
"I have something of yours." Rage says as he held his left hand out. Shortly after in a watery bubble and glow of light the pair of twin daggers that were Riviera appear.
Victoria looked shocked as she grabs them. "Rage! You…shouldn't have…" she says. She was indescribably joyous to see her Blade of Chaos. The bird then appears from them. "Riviera…"
"You bound yourself to Riviera just to bring her to Victoria?" Lauren asks, surprised.
"Yeah…it's what she wanted." Rage affirmed. "It felt like the right thing to do…and judging from their smiles…it was worth it."
"You have no idea how much this means to me." Victoria says to Rage giving him a hug. Rage was a bit shocked but he returned it.
"It's the least I could do…" he says, breaking the embrace.
"Victoria?" Chaotix's voice came from the entrance of the building and the three turned to see the old wolf walk in. "But…but how?"
"Rage…" Victoria answers "I…I felt his light deep in the Darkness and followed it…then I performed the Passing Ritual…"
"It's good to see you again." The old wolf smiled. "It brings me hope that the others are out there…"
"They are." She reassured him. "We were trapped in a deep Dark place…if Rage keeps shining…the others will find their way."
"The brighter the light the greater the shadow." Rage says "If you can find me…if other Lost Guardians can? I am sure Dark Ones will as well."
"Which is why we must make sure you're prepared." Chaotix says "By gathering as many of the Lost Guardians who can pass down their knowledge."
"Yeah…I know…" Rage mumbled in his response. "Because you 'can't' teach me…"
"Rage, I have seen terrible things in the Dark. Things much more terrifying than Christain…please…trust us…we can't have you harming yourself from reckless use of powers you have yet to grasp completely." Lauren says.
Rage looks at her and sighs before nodding. "I understand." He says. "It's just frustrating."
"Trust me…we were all young once. We thought much the same…" Chaotix chuckled. "For now enjoy what time you have to yourself."
Rage nodded, taking that as a hint he should probably head back to Equestria. "Take care." He says as he departs to return home.
He walked out of the building and looked down the hill, past the village to the East was a pair of tall spires connected to what looked like a large cathedral-like building. The Archives, where The Chaos Guardians stored not only their knowledge but copies of nearly everything written on Mobius and even works from a few other worlds, including Equestria. "You think they'll have any of those Daring Do books Twilight always raves about?" Rage asks.
Blade appeared next to him and looked in the direction of the archives himself. "I doubt it." He answers. "Aside from you we haven't had a Guardian in Equestria since before The Shadow War. If they're still writing those books that means the author is alive. I doubt we'd have any in that case."
"Shame." Rage says, shaking his head as he walks down the hill.
"Don't you live in a library?" Blade asks, cocking his left eye wondering what the crimson hedgehog was even thinking.
"Yeah but…they seem to be checked out almost every time I check." Rage answers.
"Then buy one?" Blade asks.
"I've considered it." He says as he walked in the direction of The Archives. A contempt smile on his face from the spark of joy he got from reuniting Riviera and Victoria.
"You have business there?" Blade asks Rage curiously.
"Yeah, I need to check to see if we have anything on The World Gates." Rage answers.
"Information on those would be in the Restricted Section." Blade says. "Last I checked you didn't have access to it."
"Maybe I'll get lucky and they won't be." Rage shrugs as they approach the large doors that led into the building.
Rage pushed open the door and within he was met with shelves of books towering multiple stories, and floors up. The Chaos Archives, a library consisting of copies of almost everything on Mobius as well as records of the Chaos Guardians themselves. "It never ceases to amaze me just how much we have here." Rage comments looking at the towering shelves.
"Ah...if it isn't Master Chaotic..." An old grizzled voice comes from inside. Rage looked down to see a small, blue fuzzy cat creature with a long goatee. It was flying just off the ground. A strange subsect of Mobians with dwarfism, they were few and helped The Chaos Guardians in ages past as smiths and traders being known for their hands in crafts and record keeping. This specific one was known as simply Ren. The Lorekeeper for The Chaos Guardians, in charge of the entirety of the Archives.
"Ren, long time no see." Rage says greeting the small cat. "How have things been?"
"Same as always. Making sure the handful of Guardians who made it here keep The Archives in order." He replies. "What brings you here though? Here to see The Oracle?"
"Not today." Rage shook his head. "I was wondering if there was a chance I could inquire about The World Gates." He requests. When the topic was mentioned Ren's looked went to a serious, less than pleased one.
"The World Gates?" He asks. "Rage, what are you planning?" he demands to know.
"I'm not planning anything." Rage refutes. "I am seeking specific information on them."
"How specific are we talking?" Ren asks raising an eye concerned about Rage's interest in the topic.
"So the summarized version is Miles, or Tails, managed to build one." Rage answers.
"Wait...BUILT ONE?!" Ren exclaims "How is that possible?!"
Rage shrugged "Beats me." He states. "I was as surprised as you when I found out."
"You didn't give him ANY pointers?" Ren asks, he knew Rage was friends with the fox and he felt as if there was more to it.
"No...he and Sonic built it to try and rescue me from Equestria." Rage answers. "But in doing so they just hopped back and forth until they managed to get it in-line with Equestria. I need to know what the implications of using them like that are..."
"That's all?" Ren asks. "Hold on..." he sighs, flying off into the deep reaches of the towering shelves.
"What are you hoping to find out?" Blade asks, looking at Rage in concern.
"I need to know if their use of it weakened the walls between Worlds." Rage answered "Specifically, Dark Mobius." Blade only nods in his response. Shortly after Ren returned with a book open a bit more than half-way through.
"Here we are." He says. "Luckily for you this specific information isn't Restricted." The blue cat comments. "I'm guessing they modeled it after the one used by The Echidna?" Rage nodded. "Right, right..." Ren skimmed a few pages of the book. "Here we go!" He exclaims. "Repeated or frequent use over a short period for calibration may cause temporary instabilities but nothing you should be too concerned about."
Rage let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Chaos."
"You know, you could have just asked Chaotix or Dex about it." Ren says "Why come all the way over here?"
"I figured they'd be busy with Victoria." Rage answers. "I didn't want to disturb them."
"Victoria's back?" Ren asks in surprise. "That's amazing! I thought she and the others were lost."
"I brought her back...though I have no idea how she even found me...she came to me in my Inner World but...she only said that she followed my Light..." Rage explains.
"Your...Light?" Ren asks, rubbing his chin. "Hold on for a moment..."
"Can we make it quick? I sort of need to get back to Equestria." Rage says, crossing his arms. His words were not heard though as Ren flew back into the annals of the great building. Shortly after he returned with some rolled up papers and some strange device Rage had never seen before. It looked old, yet somehow modern.
"Uh..." Rage looked at the small cat who looked through the papers he had.
"Don't worry." The small cat chuckles. "You're special in that you're still growing, a lot. Normally we train a Guardian to their full potential before we send them out but obviously you're different..." The cat holds the device up and looks a bit surprised.
"What?" Rage asks almost immediately.
"Well, I just wasn't expecting you to have grown so quickly." Ren says. "The way Chaos moves around you is incredible...You're practically emanating the stuff."
"I...thought that's sorta just what Chaosblood does...?" Rage more asks unsure if he was even following the small cat anymore.
"It does, but you're just on a whole different level...it's like they took Chaotix, Dex and the others and just smashed them all together to make you." Ren half jokes. "But I guess that makes sense given your...predicament."
"Yeah..." Rage says "I...need to get going. I'm expected back in Equestria."
"Right." Ren says gathering the papers back up. "Sorry. Have a good one."
"Yeah...you too." Rage says as he turns and walks out of The Archives with Blade by his side.
"Did he say something that bothered you?" The dragon asks.
"In a way." Rage sighs. "I am worried Blade, what happens if I hit a point where I can't control all of my power?"
"That won't happen." Blade says, looking at Rage. "I know you well enough."
Rage smiled and gave a happy nod in response. "Thank you." he says as he reached into his small belt satchel and pulls out the Blue Chaos Emerald and uses it to return to Equestria.
Meanwhile, in the Ponyville Library Twilight and Spike were taking down some of the leftover Nightmare Night decorations. Most had been placed in a box to be moved to the basement for storage later. Some were on the ground as Spike went from place to place picking them up.
"You think he's alright?" Spike asks.
"I am sure he's fine. Big Mac's taken more than a few tumbles." Twilight says. "Plus Applejack wouldn't lie about it."
"I...wasn't referring to Big Mac." Spike says "I was talking about Rage. You said he wasn't there when you went to get him this morning."
Twilight looked at the small dragon. "He's fine." She scoffs. "Rage can handle himself too. I am sure whatever he is doing and wherever he is that he's just fine."
Spike looks at her for a moment, not totally convinced. Finally though he nods before turning and grabbing a string of fake spiders when out of a flash of light Rage appears right in front of him. Spike let out a shocked scream and scrambled backwards. Twilight leapt down and looked at Rage.
"Rage!" She cheers running over and hugging him.
Rage looked a bit shocked when she did, He looked down at her embracing him, "H-hey..." he chuckled a little surprised by her reaction. He wasn't gone THAT long. "Everything alright...?"
"Yes..." She says with a smile "I was just a bit worried about you."
"Twilight..." Rage sighs with a soft smile as she let him go. "I am not a child, I can handle myself and sometimes I have to go and deal with things on my own."
"What were you dealing with?" She asks curiously.
"I was verifying something with The Chaos Guardians, nothing major." Rage half lies. "It was pretty sudden and I didn't want to wake you up..."
Twilight nods. "Sorry...I guess I am just so used to you being like a fish out of water here. I forget it's been almost three months since you came here..." she chuckles embarrassed.
"It's alright." Rage smiled. "Do you need some help?"
Twilight chuckled and shook her head. "No it's okay." she says. "Actually...Celestia wanted to talk with you about the upcoming summit in Saddle Arabia."
"Oh!" Rage exclaimed "That's right!" he had forgotten that was tomorrow. "I almost forgot!"
Rage bolted out of the door to the Library and Twilight burst out in uncontrollable laughter. "What's so funny?" Spike asks.
"Nothing." Twilight finally says recomposing herself watching him fly off. "Just..."
"He reminds you of yourself a bit?" Spike asks and she nodded.
"A bit." She says in response. After a moment of somewhat awkward silence she finally looks to Spike. "Come on now, we need to finish cleaning up before we go to Canterlot tomorrow!" she urges.