Of Magic & Schoolby CrypticMetaphor
Chapters
1
It was a fairly peaceful day in Canterlot City. It was mid-spring with a bit of overcast; all was relatively peaceful and normal. Well…except for one person, a girl about the age of seventeen was casually walking down the street with a glazed look in her eyes. She had dark medium length platinum blonde hair and dark green eyes. She was quite attractive by high school standards, not cheerleader perfect, but attractive enough to garner attention. She was wearing a pair of dark indigo high-top sneakers and dark blue jeans. She also wore a white button up shirt with a dark brown coat that went down slightly past her waist. As for accessories, she wore a pair of orange framed reading prescription glasses that had rectangular lenses, and round her waist was a belt. The belt buckle was in the shape of a black five fingered hand trimmed with gold. Her half look was due to lack of sleep, she had decided to go to a local youth center and sleep there. For the moment though, she was more concerned with getting home. She walked onto Canterlot High’s grounds and approached the statue out front. She then pushed against the stone of the podium. Nothing happened.
“GRAAAAAAHH,” she screamed in anger and kicked it.
“Stupid piece of,” she hopped on one foot in anger and pain, “Take me home!”
The statue did not answer.
“Oh so it’s like that then huh,” she walked to the side and grabbed a piece of rubble, “Fine, we’ll do this the hard way.”
“What in sanity’s name are you doing?”
The girl turned her head and stared at six girls who were staring at her in confusion.
The girl pointed at the statue as she brandished the rubble, “I’m trying to get home thank you.”
She proceeded to smack the statue with the rock yelling, “WORK! WORK! WORK! WORK!”
One of the girls with a leather jacket grabbed her wrist, “You do realize that won’t make it work right?”
The girl with the rock pulled away, “Oh my apology’s, I didn’t realize you were an expert on mirror mechanics. Please,” she ushered the leather jacket girl forward, “Show this lowly mortal the inner workings.”
The redheaded girl crossed her arms, “Very mature.”
The girl rolled her eyes, “Whatever,” she then reached into her pocket and slipped on a silver ring that bore the buckles design on it, “I’m taking the direct approach.”
All six girls surged forward to grab her.
*
One Day Earlier
Eilsa Keep huffed as she attempted to pick her clothes for the evening. Her friend Annie had invited her over to her house to stream their favorite show on her television via computer uplink, Kamen Rider Wizard. Well it was her favorite show; Elisa just liked it as a show, not as a fandom thing. Annie adored the Kamen Rider franchise, Elisa was on the fence on the whole thing, but she liked Wizard. Especially Haruto Souma, there was just something about him, plus his actor was cute. Giggling slightly, she pulled out her crowning achievement that her friend helped her buy of the night The WizarDriver sat on her bed beside her clothes as she slipped on her pants. It caused much envy from her friend, but she helped Elisa buy it none the less.
“Hm,” she grabbed a piece of paper that was attached to the Driver, “Good thing the guy who sold this supplied all of you.”
The paper in question had been made by the person the two girls had bought the Driver from. It displayed the rings that had been packed with the Driver. She plucked the red ring from the assortment and popped it on her finger after she pulled on her shirt. She started to ideally flick the small eye like attachments down and up on the ring before nodding. Grabbing the Driver, she snapped it into place on her waist and went to put on her shoes and glasses. Her high-tops laced, and coat donned, she ventured to her bathroom to so a few last minute touch ups. Combing her hair, she smiled at its current style. Straight yet bouncy, as she turned to leave, her mirror rippled. Stopping, she glanced back at it and titled her head. Jumping back when her mirror rippled again she could only stare in shock and awe at the shape that formed in it.
It was a woman, her skin a pristine white and garbed in a hooded silver robe that was a glow with the color spectrum. Her mouth was the only thing able to be seen.
“Elisa Keep,” the voice stated in an almost ethereal twang, “You have been chosen.”
Elisa blinked, “Chosen for what,” Elisa pointed at the mirror, “and what the hell are you doing in my bathroom mirror?!”
The Woman chuckled, “All in good time, just know there is a world that has need of you. But fear not, I shall give you the tools and power to do what must be done as I have done with other before you.”
“Others?”
The Woman smiled, “If you are lucky, you might meet them. But I digress, you must go, it will be time soon.”
The mirror began to glow a blinding white as Elisa called out, “WAIT WHO ARE YOU!?!”
The Woman calmly stated, “I am Aurora Rhythmos, be safe, and watch your step.”
Elisa then vanished in a flash of light.
*
Elisa felt herself falling. Granted it wasn’t like she was falling through the air, it was more like she was falling through…water? She glanced around and noted the white space she was falling through, well she couldn’t complain, at least it wasn’t like she was falling through space or the sky.
“Well Elisa its official,” she deadpanned as her surroundings became much more colorful, “weirdest night ever.”
She was then blinded by a flash and the next thing she knew, she was flying through the air. Her eyes opened as she stared at what was approaching her. There was a clear sky above her and grass as well as concrete below her. She smacked onto the ground and groaned in pain and discomfort, picking herself up she looked up and noticed there was a massive school building in front of her. Blinking a few times she looked left and right, a street was out of the corner of her vision with cars and everything, elsewhere there was a massive city in the distance which contrasted quite well to the small neighborhood she was in. She stood and dusted herself off.
“Ooookay,” she looked around, “go through bathroom mirror,” she cast a quick glance at the statue she had popped out of, “end up in weird town with humungous school.”
“Talking to yourself in weird town.”
Elisa nodded, “Yeah that too.”
She then slowly turned her head and was staring into the blue eyes of a girl with pink hair, “Are you real?”
The pink girl tapped her chin, “You know, I get asked that a lot and I still don’t have an answer for it.”
Elisa blinked still in a shocked daze, “Right.”
The pink girl glanced down at Elisa’s belt, “Ooo! Cool belt!”
Elisa glanced down and gawked. The WizarDriver still looked as it did when she strapped it on, but it had real weight to it and looked to be made of actual metal and fit her perfectly. Blinking a few times she looked at her left hand at the red Flame Ring. The jewel shone like a real gem stone and she gazed at her right hand and noted the same realism of the other ring.
The pink haired girl followed her gaze and held up Elisa’s left hand, “Wowie! Look at the size of this! My friend Rarity would lose it if she saw this beauty. Oh, sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Pinkie Pie, head of the party planning committee here at old CH, what’s your name?”
“Elisa,” she answered robotically as reality started to crash in on her, “Elisa Keep, and I think I’m about to hyperventilate.”
Pinkie tilted her head but then became worried, “Oh, oh my gosh! Stay right here, I’ll be right back with a paper bag!”
Elisa sat on the ground and stared into space. This was really happening; she was on another world…or a different Earth. In either case, shit was of the chain. She glanced around once more. But then her eyes traveled down to the chain that hung from the WizarDriver. Tilting her head, she plucked of a ring that had an orange stone fixed into it outlined with silver. The symbol in the center depicted a dragon emerging from a hole. Removing the Driver Activation Ring, she placed the new ring on and hesitantly placed it over the hand on the front of the Driver.
“CONNECT, PLEASE!”
A familiar red runic circle appeared in the air in front of her as she fell on her butt in surprise. She slowly stood up and reached into it. She felt an object bump her hand, but then she grabbed one that felt sturdier. Giving a mighty yank, a motorcycle emerged out of the circle which vanished.
“Oh,” she stood up and smiled giddily, “My god!”
The Bike gleamed in the light as it sat on the front grass.
Elisa ran her hands along the chrome of the bike until her hand rested on the red crystal front. Then a gasp alerted her to someone else.
“How did,” a red haired girl wearing a leather jacket and black boots pointed, “You did magic.”
Elisa glanced at the bike and pulled off the attached helmet, “I…did, didn’t I?”
The red haired girl’s face became a focused one as she started to close the distance, “How did you do magic, who are you.”
Elisa raised a finger as she placed her helmet on, “That is an excellent question, but I’m afraid,” she hopped on the bike and cranked the throttle, “GottaGoBye!”
The red haired girl ran toward her, “Hold on a second!”
As she got closer, Elisa could have mistaken her hair for fire due to its color scheme.
“Nope,” she yelled over the engine, “I am so out of here!”
Elisa roared away down the street leaving an agitated Sunset Shimmer staring after her.
*
That same day, The Underworld
A figure sat atop a fiery throne of rock and steel, his shadow casting across four shapes that kneeled before him. Clicking was heard as The Figure tapped his arm rest.
“I have sensed something when I slumbered,” the voice was low and malefic in its tone, “It…disturbs me.”
One of the shapes spoke in a slightly distorted female voice, “What troubles you my lord?”
“Magic,” The Figure stated, “Magic that is unlike any I have felt before. It seems an outside force has decided to interfere with my rising. Wyvern.”
The female shape that spoke rose up straight, “Yes my lord.”
“Go forth into Canterlot City or that School, either way,” a pair of burning golden eyes looked directly into Wyvern, “Make a Vessel.”
Wyvern bowed, “It will be done.”
Wyvern soon rippled and then vanished.
“So the die is cast,” The Figure stated, “Let’s see where the outcome takes us.”
*
The sun was now in the middle of the sky as Elisa sat on a bench in the city. The massive buildings a testament to the city’s magnificence, the girl could only stare blankly into space. Somehow she had access to magic, but not just that, but her Driver which had been a toy now worked like the real thing. She shook her head and chuckled.
“Man,” she said weakly, “Annie would kill me if she found out I could do this stuff.”
Just then, a scream alerted Elisa to something. Quickly standing up she glanced to the side as a mass of people ran out of a shopping center. Quickly running to the shopping center, she gazed on in shock as something erupted from a clothing shop. The creature was bipedal in appearance, but its look, it was a monster! It was female by its build, but the way it appeared was unreal. It’s entire left side was pristine white and seemed to be craved from marble and flawlessly smooth, it’s left eye a gleaming blue with pink lips. It had no ears or nose, just smoothness. Its right side was completely black and was rigid and skeletal like. Its fingers were five blade-like talons with gnarled looking toenails that ended in sharp points. Its right eye was blood red with purple lips.
The creature roared inhumanly as a girl with purple hair and white skin attempted to flee from it. Only for a tentacle to wrap around her boot and yank her down, the tentacle was white and black as the creature loomed over the trembling girl.
“You think you are so pretty,” the creature stated in a contorted female voice, “Well you’re not!”
The girl trembled further, tears coming to her eyes, only for a series of sparking shots to ring out and send the creature sprawling. The girl glanced over and noticed Elisa with a gun-like object leveled at the creature.
“So you like picking on women because their prettier than you,” Elisa narrowed her eyes, “well I got news for you, that’s not how someone should act unless they want another girl scratching her eyes out.”
The creature stood up and growled, “Who are you?!”
“Elisa Keep,” she then flicked a switch on the driver as the Hand rotated.
“Henshin.”
A runic circle appeared as she stretched her hand to the side, “FLAME, PLEASE!”
“HI, HI, HI, HI, HI, HI!”
When the circle vanished after passing over Elisa, she stood firm, but she looked far different from before.
Elisa raised her left hand, “I am Kamen Rider Wizard and,” she glanced at her ring for a moment, “It’s Showtime!”
2
The half black & white monster glared at the costumed woman before her. The gems that made up the masked woman’s outfit shining in the light as she leveled the gun like object at its face.
Wizard snickered, “So I think it’s safe to say you should say your prayers now,” the masked woman advanced slowly, “unless you ca magically stop silver bullets.”
Wizard paused for a moment then glanced at her gun, “Actually….now that I think about it, where did this thing and the bike even come from? Hammerspace?”
The creature roared and pointed at Wizard, “Butt out sister, you don’t know who you are messing with!”
“Shut it,” Wizard shot the creature a few more times causing it to fall on its back, “Can’t you see I’m trying to figure stuff out here without completely turning into a jabbering mess?”
The purple haired girl quickly scrambled over to Wizard and ducked behind her, “Thank you ever so much! I am truly grateful to you and might I say,” The girl looked Wizard up and down, “you must send me your personal designer.”
Wizard glanced at the girl, “Huh? Oh…right….I forgot you were here.”
The girl was both taken aback and shocked, “You’re telling me you forgot..,” she sputtered, at a loss for words.
Wizard waved a hand, “Calm down, I got this.”
Wizard pushed slightly on the guns barrel causing it to unfold and transition into a short sword-like weapon. Smirking under her helmet, Wizard rushed the creature as it stood up. The creature whirled around as black and white tentacles sprouted from its body in a massive sweeping motion. The surge of tentacles plowed into Wizard and lifted her off her feet. Wizard, taking the direct method, slashed down hard and severed the tentacles. Wizard yelled out as she smashed into an outdoor fountain. Grumbling in annoyance, she converted her sword back into a gun and heaved her arm in a diagonal arc. As she did so, a mass of curving bullets were sent flying at the creature.
“ARGH!”
The creature dropped hard to the ground as Wizard slipped the only other ring that she had on her right hand. The symbol depicted a foot with a dragon surrounding it in a fire like aura. Flicking her driver a few times another jingle rang out.
“LUPACCHI MAGIC, TOUCH GO!”
Bringing the new ring over the belt buckle, the same voice then belted out, “VERY NICE! KICK STRIKE! FABULOUS!”
Wizard spun in place as the red runic circle appeared at her feet. Putting her right foot forward, a mass of magical flames began to swirl and churn around her right foot almost to her knee. Wizard then did a cartwheel which transitioned into a powerful back flip. Gaining some air, she flipped around and aimed her foot at the creature.
“Time for your daily dose of filet o foot!”
After yelling her impromptu battle cry, Wizard shot toward the creature….only to be snatched out of the sky. Yelling in fear and surprise, Wizard was carried through the air at speeds compared to a speeding car. The shape which held her, dive bombed the ground and released her on the fly by. Wizard crashed hard into the ground as sparks flew from her with each hard roll. Shaking the stars from her eyes, she shakily rose. Debris surrounded her as she glared up at the creature above her. The creature was lean in build and sported a pair of massive draconic wings which flapped steadily. The creature itself was indeed a sight to behold. Its whole body was covered in form fitting dark plum colored armor. Each individual plate resembling a massive dragon scale that fit together perfectly and bent like they were flesh, in between the gaps in the plating was black membrane like skin. The trim of the armor plates were frosted white and razor sharp looking.
The shoulder pads curved up ever so slightly at the tips and looked far sharper than the other plates. Its head was composed of much smaller individual scales that interlock so well that it looked like one complete piece. Its eyes were emerald green and it had no visible mouth or nose, yet there was a subtle bump meaning there might be a nose under the armor, it that it gave a good illusion of one. Wizard could visibly perceive that the feet of the thing looked like a cross between talons and regular human feet.
The creature landed as its wings retraced into its back, Wizard readied for a fight but received an annoyed sigh from the new creature.
“So you’re the one who has troubled my master so,” the creature gazed at Wizard and spoke in a slightly distorted female voice, “I’m not impressed.”
Wizard pointed at her, “Oh yeah! Well….your ugly!”
The creature slow clapped, “Wow, impressive.”
Wizard growled, “Alright, who are you!”
“Well since you asked,” the creature bowed in a mock fashion, “I am known as Wyvern, The Dragon Queen.”
Wizard pointed a thumb back toward the mall, “And that…THING…back there? What was that?”
Wyvern thought for a moment as it tapped it’s frosted white claw like finger against its chin, “That thing is known as Hel, a Vessel that took form from the sin of Envy,” Wyvern snickered, “I have to say it looks quite magnificent.”
Wizard titled her head, “Then I guess beauty must really be in the eyes of the beholder.”
Wyvern straightened her stance, “Regardless. I am giving you fair warning,” Wyvern pointed at Wizard, “Do not meddle in my affairs again. If you do, I will burn the flesh from your bones.”
Wizard leveled her gun, “Yeah, not scared.”
Wyvern raised her hand as a ball of black fire appeared, in a flash, it launched like a rocket from an RPG and the ground erupted in a massive explosion. Wizard was hurled from her stance, her outfit vanishing. Elisa smacked onto the ground and gazed at the cackling dragon queen.
“Understand now where our strengths differ,” Wyvern’s wings shot out from her back as the black membrane within them flexed, “now begone.”
Wyvern lifted off and shot into the sky.
Elisa coughed as she stood up and noticed she had crashed onto the front lawn of the school she had arrived at previously…in plain view of many students. Elisa scrambled to her feet and ran away to retrieve her bike.
*
Wyvern landed beside Hel who jumped slightly, “Well done pet.”
Hel glanced around and growled in frustration, “She got away!”
Wyvern patted the Vessel on the shoulder, “Patience Hel, you will have her, but in the meantime. Drain any life force you can find, so commands the Shadow Lord.”
Hel nodded as she was engulfed in a black and white aura. In a minute, the creature shrunk down and revealed it’s true self.
“You can count on me,” Sweetie Belle stated, “After I’m done with the grunt work, I’ll drain my ugly sister dry until she looks like a raisin!”
*
Present Day
Elisa thrashed as the leather jacketed girl held her firmly, “LET ME GO DAMN IT! I AM SO OUT OF HERE!”
The girl grunted as Elisa booted her in the shin, “No way! You’re gonna answer some questions I have!”
Elisa forcibly brought her right hand down toward her belt buckle. The moment it hovered close enough, a familiar voice rang out.
“DRIVER ON!”
The sudden change of the belt caused the jacketed girl to release Elisa. Thinking quickly, Elisa flicked on her Driver and fitted the first ring she grabbed onto her left hand.
“SHABADOOBIE TOUCH, HENSHIN!”
“HENSHIN!”
Elisa then touched the green ring she had hastily donned to her Driver.
A green runic circle appeared below her as she flung her hand down. As the circle passed over her, she donned the same costume she had previously. The only difference was that the gems were emeralds and triangular.
Wizard glanced at her new form, “Okay, this is pretty damn cool,” a gust of swirling green wind lit up beneath her feet propelling the female wizard into the air as she floated, “Sorry, but no questions for you.”
Wizard flew off behind the school.
Sunset grit her teeth, “Damn it.”
Rarity glanced at her friend, “Don’t worry Sunset, we'll get her.”
Applejack nodded, “Exactly! Come on!”
As the group rounded a corner, they gawked at what they saw. Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister, was currently restraining a student in a head lock. Worse yet, an odd mist was coming out of the student’s chest and going into Sweetie’s.
Looking up, the freshman dropped the student to the ground who groaned, “Heya sis.”
Rarity let out a scream as the black and white aura consumed the freshman. When it faded, Hel stood and cackled.
“Now,” the Vessel stated coldly, “where were we.”
*
Wizard was getting some good distance between her and the school when she heard the scream. Halting in mid-air, she glanced to the unknown horizon, then back toward the school.
Tsking in annoyance she muttered, “Damn it."
*
Applejack rushed up to Hel and attempted to restrain the thrashing creature, “Run ya’ll!”
The girls turned to run only to have Applejack knock them all down like bowling pins. A tentacle shot out and ensnared Rarity’s ankle, yanking her from the pile. Hel hung the girl upside down as Rarity attempted to plead with the creature.
“Sweetie Belle please, don’t do this! This isn’t you!”
Hel growled, “Shut up! I’m tired of living in your shadow! Once I drain you of your life force, I can be the pretty one of the family!”
A white mist then started to come out of Rarity’s ankle and run up through Hel’s tentacle. As Hel held the slowly paling Rarity, a bolt of green hit Hel square in the spine. The Vessel dropped Rarity and whirled around to behold the floating Wizard who slowly descended.
“You didn’t forget about little old me did you,” Wizard taunted, “that hurts my feelings.”
Hel raised her arms, “Well this will hurt a lot more!”
White and black shrapnel erupted from Hel’s palms and rained toward Wizard. Thinking quickly, Wizard dodged a good portion of the projectiles while shooting the rest out of the sky. Folding her gun into a sword, Wizard flew toward Hel on the wind she currently rode and dragged her blade across the monsters body. Green sparks flew from the point of impact as Wizard repeated her fly by slashes in a much more rapid succession. On her seventh pass however….
“ENOUGH!”
A tentacle clotheslined the windy Wizard and knocked her onto the ground. Cursing her luck, Wizard rolled away from a crushing blow aimed at her head. Quickly getting into the crouching position she aimed her sword, which she converted back to its gun mode, and fired more shots. Hel stumbled but quickly regained herself before following through with various whips of her tentacles. Wizard flipped over one then ducked the other before rising, and converting her weapon, to deliver a strong horizontal slash across Hel’s stomach.
“I think it’s time to take your medicine,” she then slipped on her kick strike ring.
“LUPACCHI MAGIC, TOUCH GO!”
She then placed the kick strike ring on her belt, “VERY NICE! KICK STRIKE! FABULOUS!”
A green runic circle appeared this time as Wizard placed her right foot forward. Green swirling wind engulfed her foot in the same fashion as the flames did. Wizard then spun on the spot as she rose in the air.
“KIYAH!”
She then delivered a devastating round house to Hel’s head. The Vessel was sent flying, sparking with green electricity as she did. Then with a final cry, Hel exploded in green fire, as everyone present stared on in awe.
Wizard landed as she switched back to normal. Elisa glanced down as she noticed an odd black rock like object. She picked it up and examined it closer. The object was a rough slim rhombus shape and made of obsidian colored rock. Cracks of red pulsed on it, though from the cracks, a faint white mist slithered out. Throwing the object up, Elisa brought her weapon around and shattered the rock into dust. White mist erupted from the destroyed thing. The mist separated in various directions, but a large portion went back into the unconscious student. A small amount went into Rarity, who coughed and regained consciousness.
The other girls stood up as a stumbling and soot covered Sweetie Belle stumbled forward, “Rarity...my head hurts.”
Rarity rushed forward and embraced her sister, “Oh Sweetie! Never scare me like that again!”
Elisa nodded but then felt a head rush, “Whoa.”
The leather jacketed girl turned her head, “Hey, you okay?”
Elisa raised an ‘okay’ hand signal, “Peachy….”
Elisa Keep then fainted on the spot.
*
The Underworld
Wyvern trembled as The Shadow Lord’s gaze bore down upon her with much ire.
“You failed me Wyvern,” though the tone was not one of anger, Wyvern felt the force of each world like a blow.
“Forgive me master,” Wyvern pleaded, “I-I did not think that the girl would prove to be a thre-“
“SILENCE!”
Wyvern backed down and flinched as The Shadow Lord sighed, “You wasted a Shadow Seed…but no matter, this is but a minor setback. You are a loyal general Wyvern and I see no reason to…rid myself of you as of yet.”
Wyvern bowed low, “I thank you my lord, I do not deserve your kindness.”
“No you do not,” The Shadow Lord leaned back in his seat, “this girl…what’s her name?”
Wyvern glanced up, “She is known as Elisa Keep. She also calls herself Kamen Rider Wizard.”
“Kamen Rider eh,” The Shadow Lord leaned back as his eyes gleamed in recollection, “I have not heard that term since….no matter. Basilisk.”
Another shape stepped forward, “Yes my lord,” spoke the distorted man-like voice.
“You are to go above immediately and make another Vessel,” The Shadow Lord then narrowed his golden eyes, “and try to make this one last long enough so that the seed takes full root in the soul.”
“As you will it my lord,” a pair of reptilian eyes glowed in the darkness.