Coyotl

 

I don’t understand this rat in the slightest. Why would she hide something that would make her allies trust her more? Or at least sympathise with her…

Projecting, much?

Silence. I need not your prattle now of all times. That also means no divine intervention, spirit.

You know I cannot promise that. I must protect you if I can!

And I will protect myself! I am capable. Whatever this “Poison” can do, I will most certainly have the means with which to deal with it.

Shivering and shaking my head, I return my focus to the battlefield I will soon find myself in. The violent display just moments ago was shocking, but I will not allow myself to be roughed up so thoroughly as this crime rat allowed herself to be. I simply need to tune out all of the sounds and expectations...If I can win this, which I must, I will save Cat the trouble of having to fight further, thus earn more of her trust.

Now, why does the thought of that seem to shake you so?

Shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath, I grip tighter upon the handle within my cloak. ‘Breathing,’ I should say...it is still taking time to adjust to this new form, though, at the very least, it feels natural somehow. Perhaps another of her illusions and tricks, but if it helps me to the end of this day, I will allow it for now.

I was hoping your trust in Cat would allow you to trust me as well, but it seems you still resist.

I-I do not trust her like that! As an ally, perhaps, but…

Are you sure about that? We can feel how the tall one makes you feel, you know, there’s no need to hide such things from yourself.

I cannot accept such a thing. It will only cause both me and her more trouble in the future. All I need to do is block out all unnecessary feelings and continue down this path, then I will prove to you that--

“Coyo?”

“Gah!”

Torn from my thoughts like a tissue from a box, I jump in my seat and turn my head to Cat, the girl looking down at me with unneeded concern.

“Wh-what is it?”

The moment her paw meets my shoulder, I look away from her, trying to better control my breathing as I stare out into the stadium.

“You gonna be alright, sis? You seem a bit out of it…”

“I-I am fine!” I tell her, shaking my head and clinging to the edges of my cloak. “I am...thinking about strategies. I am more than ready for the challenges ahead.”

Ignoring the comfort her patting me on the back brings me, I look back at her and see her smile and nod at me.

“Definitely. Though, the custodians finished cleaning up a little bit ago. You might not want to make the crowd wait any longer than they have to…”

The feline gestures to the now extending bridge, prompting me to get to my feet. Shit.

“You’ll do great, Coyo!” Cat reassures me. 

Perhaps...I can rely on that hope just a little.

Yessssss.

Finally.

Shut up! Ignoring the other voices in my head, I nod to my...friend. Taking my first step out and throwing the cape of my cloak back to show just how serious I am as I make my way towards victory.

“Aaaaaaand here they are, folks! The Ascended Stranger themselves, COOOOYOTLLLLLLLL!!”

“We don’t know a damn thing about her, so get ready for either something you’ve never seen before, or one of the fastest knock-outs since Mx. Neptune first took the stage.”

“Oh, could you imagine?! Do we have a new champion in the making perhaps?!”

All of this commentary is pissing me off.

I think it’s fun, try to go along with it, you love theatrics!

…

“BRING OUT MY CHALLENGER!!” I shout, pointing towards the bench area on the other side of the arena with sparking intensity. “Who will witness the might of a true HERO!!”

The crowd seems to eat it right up…! This may just work…

“YOU HEAR THEM!! THE HEAT BETWEEN THESE TWO IS ALREADY SO THICK I MIGHT JUST COMBUST MYSELF!! BRING OUT POISOOOOOON!!”

Finally, I see her. With a face obscured as much as mine, it’s impossible to gauge how she’s feeling entering in on her skateboard. She eventually meets the sand, and doing a kickflip, the wheels of her board rotate inwards, its rider seeming to skate inches over the sand with nothing between her and the ground! A green glow pulsates from under the skateboard, slowing down slightly as she screeches(?) to a halt.

“Just about as mysterious as our new combatant, she at least has a perfect win streak to back her up. What will the master of the no-touch-knock-out do today, I wonder…?”

Perfect win streak?! That bastard rat...she really did send me in here fully expecting me to lose...but I’ll show her. I’ll show everyone here! Reaching into my cloak and brandishing Kas, the burdened blade, I spin it in my claw and allow it to flip and shift to its full length, making it just about as tall as I am.

“With this might, I will fell you, challenger! Have you the courage to face me?!”

Despite my challenge to her, they simply...shrug. Bastard! Take me seriously, would you?!

“A woman of few words as always! Let’s let her speak her first language then, shall we? FIGHT!!”

 

The bell dings for me to start and adrenaline fueled music blares over the speakers, giving me my cue to charge in towards the still Poison. Watch me all you want, I’ll crush your defenses! Skidding to a halt and kicking sand up just before my foe, I pull back, preparing for a lunging stab as the chains of Kas rev and chug, helping to propel me forward and into--

“GHH--!!”

Just before my blade can land its strike, Poison leans back on her board. What seems to be a speaker on its underside pulses green, unleashing a buzzing soundwave that launches air and sand at me, pushing my trajectory off and letting my foe narrowly kick her and her board off to the side. Not that that’s enough to stop me! Releasing the triggering on Kas, chains spew from the center of its blade, whirling like a propeller! Dragging the pulling force, I throw my weight towards where Poison moves, chasing her all while she keeps her hands in her hoodie pockets and speeds off!

“This is no game, child! COME AND FIGHT ME!!”

Once she’s lined up with the tip of my blade, I dash forward, allowing the propulsion of the whirling chains to guide me towards her!

“Fight me or I’ll end this NOW--”

What the--?! The rotating of chains ceases suddenly, and I find myself moving no more--

“NGAHHH--!!”

Electricity courses through my body, though with my newfound resilience, I can see through the pain how a mess of razor thin wires had become caught in the spinning chains of Kas, either end of each wire suspended midair by sparking needles! Letting go of my sword, I shake my hands out and growl at Poison.

“TRICKERY!! Know you no honour?!”

While the mysterious one finally takes her hands out of her pockets, I reach into my own, or, my cloak anyways, revealing the Amazing Mirror just in time to hold it in front of myself and feel the needles Poison had just thrown my way plink against its reflective surface, buzzing with static and sending back glowing chains as a counter attack! Each curves and bends to find one of the floating needles, pulling them in and glowing brighter before shooting out a beam of electric energy my enemy’s way!

Though Poison deftly ducks and weaves around its blast, being rather slow to aim, I am given the chance to take my sword back, tossing the mirror into the air once its attack is finished and watching the golden wings on either side of its frame flap, maneuvering just behind my shoulder. Now on the offensive, Poison strafes around me, throwing needles my way while the mirror swoops in the way of some and I block the others with my blade.

“Futile! You will need more than that to best me! Come closer and face me head on--”

Gah! Before I even realized what she was doing, she’s gotten much closer than before, having been weaving her way towards me through her attacks it would seem! But this is my chance! Releasing Kas’ trigger once more, I instead launch its chains towards Poison as she seems to shake some kind of spray can, my long range attack missing her perfectly for my mirror to position itself behind her, ricocheting the chains back at her and knocking the board right from under her!

“YOU’RE MINE!!”

Reeling the chains back, I leap with my blade high in the air, poised to strike down upon the enemy, only to find a cloud of smog between me and Poison, and in the next instant: BOOM!!

Careening in an arc away from the foe, I land in the sand on one side of the arena, while my blade lands next to Poison on the other side. Her board swoops in under her and gets her back on her feet, where she dusts the sand off of her and pulls Kas out of the sand by its hilt.

“H-hey, PUT THAT DOWN!! KEEP YOUR GRUBBY MITTS OFF THE PRICELESS RELIC!!”

All she does is glance my way before watching the heat gauge on its hilt glow and change to look like a clock, while the chains inside fade away to resemble that of a grandfather clock’s pendulum. She’s as surprised as I am, but I can’t give her the chance to figure out her human powers! Scrambling to my feet, I rush forward, already beginning my attack as I activate the Dragon Slayers on each of my wrists, hurling a chain with one hand only for it to be blocked by Poison wielding Kas. But with my other hand, I sweep a chain aimed at her hand as she blocks, knocking the sword from her hands! “A disarmed foe is a desperate foe,” as Bomba said, and I have more than enough arms to keep going! Seemingly still in shock, whether from the sword’s changes or my assault, she takes each whip of my chains cleanly, making her stumble off of her board and…

 

Stare at me...The longer she stares, the wider her gaze under the goggles become, as if to scream bloody murder.

 

“...It IS you,” she says, voice seemingly filtered and garbled, and yet...it is a voice I know. 

I continue to strike at them, but their movements...they aren’t the same as they were on the board. They’re not flowing like the wind or floaty like a breeze...they’re calculated and powerful.

“Wh-what are you prattling about?!” I shout, barely hiding a familiar panic in my voice.

“Your name. It’s not yours.”

They don’t just dodge attacks, but hold up their arm to block them without even flinching! They step forward, unphased by most strikes, leading me to instead focus one of my chains on their board, easily snapping in half…! No...no, it splits apart naturally to avoid my attack, each half of it floating back to Poison as they pull up their sleeves, attaching to their fists like gauntlets.

“You took it. You took their name.”

Ghh--! My attacks become sloppy the further my fear becomes realized, allowing Poison to grab one chain out of the air with their newly armed fist, while the other adjusts their goggles, a click louder than the beating of my heart changing the colour of one of the goggles from blue to red.

“What are youuUUU--”

They pull the chain in their hand towards themselves, dragging me with them as their free fist reels back and hooks under and upwards, the sound of a bullet being shot sounding off as the gauntlet glows green, propelling it into my gut even faster and stronger than I could have expected!

“GIVE IT BACK!!”

It feels like the impact lasts for ages before I’m thrown all the way back into the wall of the arena, only saved from falling into the water as the mirror just barely manages to catch and haul me back to land.

Please, allow me to help! This is far more than you can handle alone!

“No…! I can...keep going…!”

Steeling myself, I reach into my cloak, searching, looking for something…! They’re getting closer, dashing towards me, and all I can think about is the last time this happened, then suddenly finding the summoning stone. No! I won’t use it, I can’t…! Shaking my head, I focus once more, pulling out the Wheels of Fortune, though, instead of riding them, I make chakrams out of them, chains grinding on the outer edge of each before being tossed, one to try and slow down Poison, and the other to retrieve Kas.

They simply bat away the first toss, then punch the next. Each of my attacks becomes more powerful and grows larger with more chains the more momentum I build, but they seem undeterred, even as the wheel seems to push them back, they simply grasp at its edges. It begins slowing to a halt as the other wheel returns Kas to me, but things get worse before they get better.

The chains on the active wheel dissipate like they had for Kas, though instead of any clock theming, they manifest a ring of surging electricity, its wielder spinning with it in hand before hurtling it towards me! I make Kas my own once more, just in time to pull it up and push back against the shocking projectile! I feel myself being pushed back against the sand as the wheel continues to spin, grunting and pushing myself further until finally I can bat it away and--

“GHH-- WHAT-- ARE YOU--?!”

My combatant took the time I spent defending myself to get even closer, close enough to zip in under the deflected wheel and sidewinder me! It’s not as powerful of a blow as the last, but the shock, literally and figuratively, makes it hurt all the same! Still, I’m on my feet, I can keep up the fight! Kas shortens back to its normal size while my mirror attaches itself to my arm, allowing me to block Poison’s punches, but they’re stronger and faster than I expected!

“WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?! Poison seems to have abandoned their more humane methods of knocking foes out in favour of beating them to a pulp!!”

“What an inhuman display…”

 

I can’t keep on the defense here, I have to attack! Right! NOW!!

“BACK WITH YOU!!”

My blade clashes with their fist, then again after they pull back and launch another assault! Despite all the hits I’ve taken, I can keep up, while Poison’s human limitations get the better of them! Pushing forward, making them step back as I swing, block, swing, block, back and forth, I can do this! Keeping my slashes steady, just as I’d been taught, I can do it, I can fend them back! Poison dashes back from my slash, lunging in for an easily readable attack--

“DIE ALREADY!!”

“GRK--!!”

A-A CHEAP SHOT!! They reposition their attack at the last second and aim downwards at my bad leg, toppling me forward in time with their rising uppercut, followed up by a direct blow to my chest, sending me flying back once more! This time, however, I’m not even given the chance to recover, my foe throwing out their stasis wires to keep my arms and legs in place! They even bat my mirror out of the way, straddling me and rearing their fist back!

“I AIN’T LETTIN’ YOU GET AWAY THIS TIME-- NOT AGAIN!!”

SMASH!! Their first crashes against my face once, SMASH, twice, SMASH, again, and again, unrelenting, furious as a storm. I can’t-- do a damn thing about this…! I’m done for...even past the spectral shield blocking a single hit, a barrier of light protecting me from the next, a...a gust of wind that pushes another punch just out of the way of my head…? They reel back for seemingly one final hit, but even that is thwarted by a pitch black blanket of shadow crawling over my form the moment the hit would have connected. Finally, finally...they seem to relent, shaking their head and standing up over me. I can’t...I can’t find the strength to get up, even as they remove the wires holding me down.

“THAT’S IT, EVERYBODY!! Our champ, undefeated still! Give it up for our very own POISON!!”

“That brings the score one to one. It’s team Triple Tails’ last chance to eke out a victory.”

I...I can’t believe it...I lost...Poison removes their gauntlets which reform into their skateboard, and without a word, they leave. So here I lay, alone in the sand...at least, until someone seems to pick me up.

“...I know that couldn’ta felt good, but promise me you won’t be upset at yourself for losing to them of all people.”

Cat...she hauls my arm over her shoulder and helps me back into the bench area. Once inside, I fall into my seat and go limp. I can barely even process what happened in those last few moments...but what confused me most out of what I can remember is being protected by something odd. At the very least, it doesn’t take long for that to be answered, glancing up and blurily making out a green, windy looking snorkel sticking out of the sand, moving into the water and over towards us before, with a gust of wind, Fox reappears in the bench area.

“Sneaky as eva, ain’tcha?” Elizabeth says, “Lucky for yous, these guys don’t know what ta look out for when it comes to magic.”

Ignoring her, Cat and Fox look at me with worry. She...she saved me. After everything that’s happened, she...saved me…

I choose to pass out over being seen sobbing in front of Cat again.