Beneath a cherry tree, when the blossoms fell, a master and his two students trained in a small park in the Pēru District of Eisen, the two students duelling each other to sharpen their skills with a blade.

"Alright, Ichirou! Take this!" Masami lunged at Ichirou with her wooden practice sword, trying to penetrate Ichirou's guard. She swung low at Ichirou, trying to score a hit on his legs, but Ichirou blocked, and immediately countered, tapping Masami on the head as she let her guard down. "Aww, crap. You got me..."

"Focus, Masami," Hiro instructed Masami as he stepped behind her, crouching down to help her with her sword. He grabbed the handle with her, helping her blocking. "You cannot use a wide sweep until you learn to defend yourself properly. There is such a thing as overconfidence in the art of the sword."

"Yeah, I know Master Hiro..." Masami beamed as Hiro patted her on the head, Ichirou scowling as he did so.

"Good, Masami. Now, Ichirou are you ready?" Hiro called over to Ichirou who had been waiting for Hiro's feedback. To his displeasure, however, he did not get any.

"Yes, father..." Ichirou muttered as he prepared his practice sword.

"Now, remember what I've been telling you in the dojo; you must be in the moment– totally focused on your opponent." Hiro reminded Masami as she too readied her weapon.

"Yes, sir." Masami nodded excitedly, happy to hear Hiro's advice. "Okay, Ichi! I'm ready!"

Ichirou grunted and held his blade out, a jealous anger pooling within him. It had been only a few months since Masami started training, and Ichirou was already beginning to hate her. She was so cocky and determined, unfocused and undisciplined. He was fed up with his father constantly coddling her like she was some frail piece of silk. As Masami swung at her, Ichirou blocked and hit her hand, knocking the wooden sword out of her grasp. He didn't stop there, however, and he smacked Masami in the hand again, leaving sizeable welts on her fingers.

"What the hell, Ichirou?!" Masami shouted at him in anger as she held her throbbing hand.

"I'm sorry, I–." Hiro snatched Ichirou's sword out of his hand, cutting him off as he smacked him upside the head.

"Masami, leave us be for a moment, will you?" Hiro ordered her sternly.

"Yes, Master." Masami bowed in respect as she scurried off down a dirt path, leaving them alone.

Hiro turned to Ichirou, a more than angered expression on his face. "Blowing out sompony's candle does not –."

"Make mine shine any brighter?" Ichirou rudely interrupted, finishing Hiro's sentence for him. "I've heard that before, father."

"Then why have you not taken my advice, Ichirou?" Hiro shook his head in disappointment as he handed Ichirou his sword back. "You cannot let your rage guide you. That is not the way."

"I know, father, but she is a thief, a ruffian–!"

"She is a filly from a down-trodden home. She's just insecure at the moment, she'll get better." Hiro insisted as he tried to place a hand on Ichirou's shoulder, but the stubborn foal grunted, taking his sword and backing away. "She has potential Ichirou. She just has to focus–."

"What about my future, father?! What about my potential and my skill?! Does that even matter to you now that you finally have got the daughter you always wanted?! You don't love me..." Ichirou snapped at his father as he gave Hiro back his mother's practice sword, running off with tears in his eyes. "Mother loved me..."

"Oh, Yumi... what shall I do with our son?" Hiro looked down at the seashell necklace around his neck– a memento of his late wife. "You always understood him in ways a father simply can't..."

****

Masami and Ichirou's blades collided, sending waves of power and ribbons of blue and black energy outwards. The two fox spirits evaporated into masses of spectral mist, swirling around the two swordmasters as they continued to clash. Rainbow Dash was stunned, simply watching her beautiful warrior-maiden dance about with her blade as if she were gliding. She was always so sassy and upfront, but when she was truly in battle, her personality faded, and she was replaced by a gentle swordsmare. With every breath, Masami's soul felt less heavy, but with every breath, it also burned hotter, more intensely. She spun around and around like a top that constantly changed directions, clashing blades with Ichirou at an incredible pace.

"You gonna step in, or are you gonna look at my ass all night?" Masami broke her focus for a moment to berate Rainbow Dash, who simply stood on the sidelines and gawked.

"C-crap!" Rainbow Dash hit herself on the head with a frantic expression and jumped into the fight, grabbing a piece of the broken seraph statue on the ground. Her brand shone its silver glow, and her body became coated in metal once again.

Rainbow Dash threw a punch at Ichirou, and he dodged, countering with a barrage of shadowy blades that erupted from the ground. "Cursed Blade Technique: Kuroko's Ink!"

"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she rocketed into the air, evading the deadly attack. However, she fell to earth faster than expected. The added weight of her metallic body affected her flight. She crashed into the floor with substantial force, winding herself for a brief moment. "Damn, it's really hard to get off the ground..."

"You okay?" Masami asked Rainbow Dash as she distracted Ichirou with a few speedy strikes to his shins, immobilizing him long enough for Rainbow Dash to recover.

"Fucking bitch!" Ichirou cursed at Masami as he felt the pain shoot up his spine.

"Yeah, I'm good!" Rainbow Dash nodded as she lunged at Ichirou again, but this time more cautious. As Rainbow Dash got in close to Ichirou's guard, she instinctually outstretched her hand towards him; a voice that she assumed was the brand guided her, and word seemed to roll of Rainbow Dash's tongue as if she had said it thousands of times. "Metal: Mace!"

Rainbow Dash's right arm began to rapidly expand, and layers of steel overlapped and hardened in an instant as she raised it high above her head. As she launched a right-cross at Ichirou, her hand became a solid chunk of steel, jagged and hefty. The mass of metal collided with Ichirou's face, knocking across the room. However, Ichirou did not impact a wall like she had hoped; he instead disintegrated into a dark mist.

"Rainbow Dash, how'd you do that?" Masami raised an eyebrow at her as Rainbow Dash's hand shrunk, returning to normal size.

"No clue... it just-... came to me." Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment as she looked around for Ichirou. "Where'd that bastard go?"

"Right here!" Ichirou growled as he leaped out of the shadows behind Rainbow Dash, slashing her across the back with his dark blade.

"Gah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she fell forward, blood oozing from the gash in her back.

"Rainbow Dash!" Masami screamed as she ran to her, blocking Ichirou from delivering a killing blow while she was down, stopping his blade in mid-swing with her own sword.

"Are you so weak that you'd be willing to sacrifice you own life for the sake of this winged mare?!" Ichirou lashed out at her with his blade, crushing her block with a powerful overhead strike.

Masami regained her footing before Ichirou could follow-up with another power-attack, and she strafed around him, slashing him at the shoulder as she looped around. "Are you so desperate to win that you'd stab a pony in the back while they are on the ground like some lowlife street-thug?!"

"Oh, that's rich!" Ichirou snapped back at Masami as he pivoted towards her, slashing low to cut at her shins. "Quite a thing for you to say seeing that you were once a petty thief, scrambling to survive!"

Masami jumped over Ichirou's wide swing, giving him a firm kick to the ribs as she did so, momentarily stunning him. "I may have been a thief, but at least I'm not a murderer!"

Ichirou growled and attacked Masami with a swift stab, but she managed to block it, and their blades scraped against each other once again, sending sparks flying. "It's not murder to put a weak animal out of its misery, is it? Hiro was foolish and old, and he underestimated my power!"

Masami felt her heart sank; hearing Ichirou describe his father with such hateful words almost brought her to tears. "I see now..." Masami broke their clash and stepped back, lowering her sword for a moment. "I thought I could convince you to change, to repent...but it's clear to me now. I kept imagining you as this grey soul; a pony on the edge of shadows, one that could be rescued if I just tried. But I was wrong. Your darkness cannot be cured with words. It can only be cured with a sword."

"You can't kill Hiro's little son, Ichirou..." Ichirou smirked, confident his reply would prove Masami's statement moot. "You can't kill Hiro's son."

"You're right. I can't kill Ichirou..." Masami prepared her blade again, gripping the handle tightly in her hands. "But I can sure as hell kill the thing that killed him."

"Hilarious. You actually think you can defeat me without the help of your little marefriend here?" Ichirou sneered as he pointed over to Rainbow Dash, who laid face-down on her stomach, blood oozing from the deep gash on her back.

"I know I can," Masami said as she sheathed her blade and grabbed a piece of fabric out of her pocket– a long, white ribbon; the piece of silk that once supported the weight of her father's war medal. It was the only thing she had left of him. "Because I have both of my father's with me."

Masami breathed in deeply and tied her long mane up into a long, flowing ponytail using the ribbon, and she closed her eyes as she envisioned the face of her father– young, with a humble heart and a smile that could fill any saddened soul with glee. She imagined herself on his shoulders once again, running along the beach they used to visit together when she was barely a toddler. They were her most cherished memories of him. Masami them looked down at her blade, the blade of her second father; the one that guided her when she was lost so long ago. She found strength in their souls, the courage held within them. Masami felt Byakko brush the back of her neck with its tail, assuring her that she was safe.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Ichirou roared as he summoned Kuroko, who snarled and growled at Byakko. "Kuroko! Kill her and that fox!"

Kuroko pounced at Byakko, and in response, Masami dodged, Byakko evading with her. Kuroko slammed into a separate level of the barracks, causing the surrounding structure to crumble and crack. Masami directed Byakko to Rainbow Dash, and the giant fox curled around Rainbow Dash, shielding her from the falling debris. Kuroko took this opportunity and began to slash at Byakko, trying to wear away at her guard.

"Masami..." Rainbow Dash choked out as she tried to raise her head.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. I'll finish this." Masami assured her as she held Byakko in place.

"It's pointless, Masami! Kuroko will tear through that pathetic fox before you can even scratch me!" Ichirou boasted as he raised his blade. "If you are caught by my blade, your spirit will weaken. And if that happens, Byakko will surely be destroyed."

"We'll see about that." Masami scoffed as she unsheathed her own sword, the silver edge glimmering like the moon under the light streaming in from above. "Let's get this over with so I can get that damn key from you."

Ichirou charged at his foe with ruthless speed, his blade drawn and ready to kill. He slashed high, and Masami ducked, stabbing him in the lung. In response to the pain, Ichirou let loose another powerful wail that staggered Masami. He followed-up, going for her legs this time. Masami, however, was able to block his strike, and she gave him a firm roundhouse kick to the open wound on his midsection, inflicting immense pain. Ichirou wailed and lashed out in anger, recklessly swinging left and right, determined to cleave her in two. Masami avoided the flurry of attacks, stepping back each time Ichirou swung.

As Ichirou began to slow down, Masami took the initiative and slashed him across the leg. Ichirou then attempted to hit her with one of his blade techniques. "Cursed Blade Technique: Kuroko's Ink!"

Masami fell into a backwards roll and avoided the maw of piercing black spines that erupted from the ground, and she quickly used one of her own attacks whilst Ichirou's guard was down. "Sacred Blade Technique: Byakko's Claw!"

A solid blade of blue energy escaped the end of Masami's sword like a whip as she swung it, and the energy ribbon cut Ichirou across his midsection, slashing his garb, and revealing one of the keys needed to enter Kaiser's throne room. The regenerative capabilities of a Shadouītā were impressive, but attacks like Masami's were too quick and deadly to recover from in the heat of a battle. His regeneration took time, and Masami knew this for a fact. She had to take every opportunity she had to injure him; there was no room to hesitate.

It didn't take long for Masami to realize that Byakko's guard was weakening; Kuroko was inches away from Rainbow Dash, and this got Masami's adrenaline pumping. She began to dance about, doing flips and kicks, slashing Ichirou with her blade over and over. Black blood splattered across the ground as she continued hammering him with a constant barrage. She gave him a kick to the jaw, stunning him, then she cut him across his right eye, which then blinded him for a moment. Ichirou's guard was failing miserably, and he knew it. Ichirou retreated, stepping back to let his body and mind rest for a moment. He then mustered up all of the power he had into one final strike, allowing his blade to become fully empowered by swirling shadows.

"I'm through with this nonsense! Kuroko, return to me!" Ichirou commanded his fox spirit as he dashed towards Masami. The fox melted into dark shadows and wrapped around his blade, increasing its size tremendously. "Cursed Blade Technique: Kuroko's Dark River!"

Byakko ceased her defensive stance and also became one with Masami's blade, lengthening it into a massive sword made of blue energy. "Sacred Blade Technique: Byakko's Divine Lotus!"

Rainbow Dash watched as Masami passed by Ichirou with a determined stare, looking straight forward as a 'ching' sounded, and this confirmed to Rainbow Dash that somepony had been hit. There was s brief moment of silence; both warrior's blades lost their aura. Eventually, Ichirou stood, which frightened Rainbow Dash, who saw Masami, still kneeling. Then, Ichirou stumbled back, black blood gushing from his chest. He had been slashed through the heart.

As Ichirou fell onto his back, Kuroko gently evaporated, as if the demons within it had been exorcised. Ichirou hit the ground with a loud 'thud', blood pouring from his mouth. "Im-... possible..." His eyes then rolled into the back of his head, and his breathing stopped entirely.

Masami stood up, but fell back down onto her knee, feeling the adrenaline subside, leaving her bloodied and battered. Rainbow Dash felt her strength return as she stood up to aid Masami, who was badly beaten up and exhausted. The blue pegasus caught Masami as she fell forward, and she hugged her tightly in her arms as she began to sob. No words were exchanged in that moment, no gestures, only raw emotion. Masami returned the hug, not caring about her own injuries or Rainbow Dash's, and they sat there. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, patting Masami gently on the head as she soaked her shoulder with her tears.

Masami imagined herself, in another life. She was teaching younglings, showing them the ways of the sword with Hiro and Ichirou. She imagined the dojo rebuilt, the temple where they prayed restored to its former glory. She saw herself under the cherry tree with Ichirou again; smiling, laughing– the way it all should have been. Masami's crying became softer as she buried her face into Rainbow Dash's neck, and she imagined Ichirou as a child, holding his father's hand.

"Masami... look." Rainbow Dash broke the silence as she opened her eyes, noticing that Ichirou was absent. Only his sword was there, embedded in the ground with the key hanging from its handle.

*

"Dad, why didn't you let me learn all that Masami did?"

"Your mother- she believed she could tame Kuroko with the scrolls. She failed, and that failure cost Yumi her life. I couldn't let that happen again. I couldn't lose you, so I tried to force you to have a life beyond martial arts. But I denied you your identity, and in the end, you ended up falling to Kuroko anyway, and I am truly sorry, son."

*

Masami turned, wiping the tears away. She stood up with moderate difficulty, and she remained silent as she approached the sword and took the key. Masami placed the key in her pocket, and with a tug, she removed the sword from the ground. It had been restored to its former glory. Yumi's sword was as it should've been– a blade that was as elegant and as vibrant as a lotus. It was freed from Kuroko for good.

In the distance, Masami heard a whisper. It was soft, barely noticeable, but she heard it. Ichirou. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome..." Masami muttered to herself as she strapped Yumi's blade to the utility belt on her damaged combat suit. She saw visions of Ichirou and Hiro walking alongside each other again, but this time, the sun was red and setting, and they were much older. They walked together into the western sun, towards a promised land where they found each other again. A tear rolled down Masami's cheek as she sighed to herself. "You're welcome."

"What happened...?" Rainbow Dash wondered as she got up, cringing a little as the gash on her back began to sting.

"He's free... he has forgiven Hiro," Masami laughed lightly as she turned to Rainbow Dash, tears once again streaming down her face. "I'm free..." Masami then placed a hand on Rainbow Dash's cheek. "We're free."

With that, Rainbow Dash and Masami kissed, expressing their relief as they let their access thoughts and feelings drift away. They knew each other now, felt as one, dreamt as one; they finally were free of their burdens, free of their restraint and their worries. Although it had been days, they felt like they had known each other for a lifetime. The two kissed for what seemed like an eternity, and as they pulled away from each other, Rainbow Dash smiled, giggling gleefully as they continued to embrace each other.

"We're getting blood all over each other..." Rainbow Dash pulled away from the hug, realizing that they were quite injured

"Yeah, well..." Masami smirked as she grabbed gauze wrap and disinfectant out of a pouch in her utility belt. "It wouldn't be the first bodily fluid we've shared..."

"That was in really poor taste, Fox..." Rainbow Dash chuckled at the Masami's dirty humor as she poured the disinfectant on her wound, feeling the distinct burning sensation.

"I know..." Masami agreed as she wrapped Rainbow Dash's wounds up with the gauze. "Now, let's wrap you up, and then we can find a place to meet up when the others are finished their mission, Kitten."

"Sounds good." Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. "Oh, hey. On a side note... are you magic or something? Because I'm still really confused by that whole freaky spirit shit!"

Author's Notes:

Well, that's one member of Infernalgear out of the way! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope to release chapters more frequently as we reach the end of this arc! As always, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next chapter!