The Unnecessary Balance VII

A.

I.... have to catch up before I can vote

Yay! B is locked. Will roll the RNG and update soon.

You shake your head, suddenly smiling. It took you a second, true, but you finally figured out the shade's clever riddle. "I see. You mean to say we cannot share the same space, yes? You and I are virtually the same, save for one thing: our memories. You personify the memories I lost, the part of my soul missing. If I am to reclaim my past, and my future, then I must first defeat you. That is what you meant, yes?"

The ghostly guardian returns your smile, and she genuinely seems... Happy. "You are correct, that was indeed my meaning. Well? Are you ready to begin?"

"I am," you reply, reaching into the leather pouch at your waist. You grasp your Dragonstone, but before you can transform, your opponent-to-be stops you.

"Wait. We cannot battle here. If the crystal were to be damaged, then all your efforts would amount to naught."

Okay... "Then what do you suggest?"

The guardian snaps her fingers, and instantly the world begins to melt. The cavern fades around you, melting into nothingness. The crystal, even Lahar... Though you aren't particularly worried. Your surroundings begin to shift once more, and you find yourself standing amidst a field of stars. You look around, awed into silence. Planets float all around you, worlds of all different shapes and sizes. Rivers of rock and stars flow through the heavens, and far in the distance, a giant ball of fire illuminates the vast void, filling all of space with it's rays. The field beneath you feels solid enough, and even though you know this is an illusion, it all feels strikingly real. It's a splendid choice for a battleground really, if a bit grandiose...

"Well? Shall we begin?" She asks politely, drawing her sword, a blade as dark as the void around you.

You incline your head and grasp your Dragonstone once more, shifting into your true form. You loose a world shaking roar, all too eager to begin, eager to finally have your memories back, to finally be done with all this nonsense. One way or another, you have a feeling this trial will soon be over.

Your opponent charges like lightning. Faster than you can react, her blade finds your scales, striking you like the wind. You roar in surprise and anger, and counter with a fierce blast of fire. Your opponent moves to dodge, just as you expected, but the blast is too large, and too sudden. She's sent flying backwards, and she just barely manages to right herself midair. You seize the opportunity to strike, and you feel a familiar power swell within you.

"Perish in the flames of Dragonkin!"

You unleash a maelstrom of intense fire before she can recover fully, blinding her temporarily. You follow through with two consecutive blasts of flame, sending her reeling. You charge despite your wounds, intending to carry your momentum to victory. Your opponent surprises you by meeting your charge head on, though her swings are wild and unfocused. You easily dodge the first two attacks, and the last two glance off your scales, deflected by some unknown force. You don't have time to ponder the miracle however, not in the heat of battle. You waste little time striking back, sending her crashing to the ground with a whip of your tail.

You keep expecting her to transform, knowing that would most likely turn the tide in her favor, but she never does. The battle sways back and forth, neither of you holding the momentum for very long, and it isn't long before you realize why. She knows all of your moves, your patterns, even your thoughts, and you know hers as well. It's like trying to fight a mirror. Once you realize you're fighting a doppelganger however, a strategy begins to form in your mind. You start to act unpredictability, attacking when you would normally defend, charging when you should retreat. The strategy has the desired effect for a while, confusing your opponent greatly. You also manage to blind her a couple more times, which definitely helps matters.

But about halfway through the battle, everything changes. She starts to adapt to your strategy, rendering it ineffective, and she begins to fight back in force. She uses her speed to overwhelm you, and while you still manage to land a few solid hits in, the tide has clearly turned against you. To make matters worse, your blind spell has worn off, and she doesn't give you the chance to attempt it again. It's her resilience, you realize, that is the main issue. No matter how many times you attack, or the intensity of your attacks, you never seem to actually damage her. It's both infuriating and frightening.

And then, in a split second, the battle ends. And not, unfortunately, in your favor.

"Witness the power of the stars!"

Your opponent's blade suddenly glows a stunning gold, and she dashes past you like a lightning bolt. You don't even have time to raise your guard. You roar in agony, and loose a powerful blast of fire in your opponent's general direction. She easily evades your attack and swings around for another strike, and this time her blade glows a fierce silver. You collapse on the ground, thoroughly defeated. You shift back into human form, groaning, as the world around you fades, reverting back to the oh so familiar cave. You struggle to your knees, and Lahar immediately drops to your side in concern.

"Rata! Are you alright?"

You nod and slowly rise to your feet. "I'm fine, Lahar. No need to worry."

You turn your attention to the guardian of souls, admittedly a bit crestfallen. "So what now? Does this mean I've failed?"

"Not at all," she assures, and you're surprised to find her smiling. "On the contrary, actually. You've passed with flying colors."

Okay... Now you're confused. Relieved, but confused. "But... How? I thought you said I had to defeat you."

The shade laughs, shaking her head. "No, you said that. I just didn't bother to correct you. I merely said you had to prove your resolve to me, which you have done splendidly. As the final guardian, I hold your trial to be passed. Truly, well done. But before I grant you what you seek, let me ask you this: Do you understand the truth of this world?"

The truth... Of the world? Noticing your confusion, she sighs. "No, I see that you do not. No matter. In time, you will come to understand. But for now..."

A brilliant light suddenly envelopes the shade, and when the light clears she is gone, and in her place are three items: her midnight sword, a golden seal, and the third and final amulet.

"I grant you the last piece of the puzzle," a disembodied voice rings out, echoing along the cavern walls. "I return your sword to you, and gift you the Seal of Stars. Do with them as you please. Remember, your memories are not just your own. Nor are they merely concepts, with no form. They are what define you, they are the very essence of your soul. They are your greatest weapon, and your most faithful companion. Remember this, and no one shall ever be able to take them again."

The voice finally quiets, leaving you and Lahar alone with a normal rock. "Well... That wasn't so bad," you note cheerfully, scooping up the three items on the floor.

Lahar's eyes suddenly widen in alarm, though you can't fathom why. "Rata, wait-!"

His urgent warning never reaches you. As soon as your fingers touch the cool metal of the amulet, over a thousand years worth of memories and emotions flood through you. You cry out, and you collapse. The last thing you see before darkness takes you is Lahar rushing to your aid.

Don't feel to bad. I haven't watched the Matrix so I didn't get that hint. Besides, you voted before Neo posted the second hint.
Also, A. I would like to promote her.

Alright, so two votes for promoting her. But what would you like to promote Rata to? Elder Dragon, Divine Dragon, or Chaoswing? Elder Dragon is mainly a tank, and is heavily HP, Str, and Def based. Divine Dragon is a damage dealer/support unit, and is mainly Mag and Res based, and can wield Staves. Chaoswing is primarily a damage dealer and Speed based class, and it focuses on hindering the enemy and sowing discord. The Chaoswing class also allows Rata to use swords, which is handy since you just got the Ebony Blade.

Neo's recommendation: Promote Rata to Chaoswing. Along with being her very own unique class, it comes with some sick skills and an automatic B Rank in swords. Once Rata learns Chaos Morph, she becomes practically invincible. She can morph into a Dracozombie at the beginning of battle, sow carnage and destruction for a few turns, and then when she's finally defeated, she will revert back to normal with full HP so she can continue dishing out the pain. Also a handy substitute for an Elixir, as when Rata morphs into a different form, her HP is fully restored.

Fellow Skyrim lover, eh? A little. But really, I only used the name and some of the general description.

Yay, A is locked! Brief status update, then I will continue the story in a bit.

Ratatosk Lv 1 Chaoswing
HP:80
Str:45+2
Mag:46+2
Skill:46+2
Spd:50+2
Luck:42+2
Def:44+2
Res:48+2

Avoid 105 ATK 74
Skills: Dragonskin, Kaleidoscope, Judgement, Galeforce
Weapon Level: Sword B, Dragonstone -/-
Items: Ebony Blade(-/-), Divine Stone(-/-), Hoplon Guard, Wyrm Crest, Vulnerary(3/3)
Special Armor: Memorial Pendant


Oh, and Ratatosk won't actually use her real name until Chapter 17. Also, I gave the Seraph Robe to Lahar to make room, but it will still be in her inventory when she joins later.