Mikoto was walking through Magnolia town...everything looked like it had been torn assunder by some sort of great disaster, as if she had somehow come across some great appocalypse. Feeling rather fearful now...Mikoto walked through the town wiping the tears from her eyes.1
Why was she crying...? What happened? All she could think of was the pain...the great unbearable pain. But where had the pain come from?
"N-Natsu?!...L-Lucy!? Elli?!" Mikoto called out, hoping somebody would at least answer her. "Please...anybody!?"
Mikoto looked around until she saw something that made her heart beat with even greater fear. It was the guild hall..and bloody hand prints and smears were all over it's walls. Mikoto pushed her way through the door of the guild...and found burned shattered skeletons everywhere...many of them wearing burned clothing she recognized from her friends..
"No...no...NOOO!!!" Mikoto let out a scream as tears poured down her face once more.
Suddenly the vision dissolved, and instead of colors and pain, she seemed to be feeling a swooping motion, as if all the pain was dissapearing to an area of sweet relief... Mikoto opened her eyes to find herself lying in Lucy's arms.
"L-Lucy? Are you real...? Or is this another-?"
Lucy hugged Mikoto tightly as tears poured down her face. "It's real...it's over, the pain is over.."
Mikoto suddenly realized that there seemed to be a tail and pair of black wings and horns that were disintegrating off her body and dissapearing. Had she been level shifting? She couldn't think straight anymore...the voices of hurt were still running around in her head...like a neverending scar.
Mikoto began to cry some more as she hugged Lucy tightly and buried her face in her friend's shoulder. "It was bad....very, very bad.....so bad...it hurt so much..."
Gunha, who standing nearby looked around shiftily. "Come on guys...As much as I like heartfelt reunions...we have to move now..they've probably already figured out we're here...if this is a prison cell or test room, they're definitely observing this place."1
Lucy nodded. "Mikoto...can you stand?"
Mikoto quivered a little and tried to get up but collapsed again into Lucy's arms. "I-I'm sorry..I'm so useless right now..."
"If you could stand after all that I'd be surprised." said Gunha. "You were screaming like you were on fire or something.."
Lucy flashed a glare at Gunha. "Not the time!"
"Oh..er...sorry."
Lucy and Gunha each put one of Mikoto's arms over their shoulders and began walking steadily towards the door. However, before either one of them could get more then 5 feet, suddenly Cronus Shirai teleported right in front of them, blocking their path.
"Excuse me..." said Cronus with an ominous smile. "But where do you think you're going? The tests aren't even over yet..and this show hasn't gotten to the best part....where the lab rat starts throwing up!"
"Hey..you look like that Kuroko Shirai.." Muttered Gunha. "Guess you're Edo-Kuroko huh?"
"Yeesh, such a naive idiot...you're no different from our Gunha.." muttered Cronus. "Well duh! I'm from Edolas!"
Gunha grinned. "Well well well...you've got spunk...Lucy..take Mikoto and get out of here..this will only take a second.."
"Oh...now I'm mad!" growled Cronus with an evil angry smile. "You think I'm just gonna let you waltz outa...wait...STOP IGNORING ME!!"
Lucy had already ran past Cronus while she was talking with Mikoto riding piggy back style on her back.
"Oh no you don't.." said Cronus preparing to teleport. Suddenly the door slid shut and instead of teleporting outside the room, Cronus suddenly appeared with a face plant right into the door.
"OWW!!" Cronus yelled out clutching her nose. "I forgot this place was supposed to restrict esper abilities to in the room itself..man..that hurts."
"WHAM!!" Gunha suddenly came up from behind and chopped Cronus on the back of the neck, knocking her out.
"Well.." muttered Gunha. "That was easy..."
Gunha made to walk towards the door...but suddenly it slid open to reveal a livid looking Mikaris Misaka standing there...a burning electric aura coming off of her.
"Or maybe I should have said it was too easy." said Gunha gritting his teeth and readying his fists for a fight."
"I have no time for you pathetic weaklings..." murmured Mikaris as her one eye glared at Gunha furiously.
Lucy panted as she ran, thinking only of getting Mikoto as far from this place as possible. As she ran, Elli and Happy flew out of another connecting hallway.
"You found her!!" Elli cried out with tears of joy in her eyes.
"Yeah!" said Lucy. "But we gotta hurry and get out of her before-"
"ZAAAAAMMMM!!!!!" Gunha was suddenly blasted straight through a wall and landed on his back in front of Lucy, his body crackling with residual electricity.
"Wow.." muttered Gunha dizzily. "This one...really doesn't know the meaning of holding back."
Lucy backed up as Mikaris advanced on her, her bangs sparking dangerously.
"No...Lucy..please..leave me and get out of here..." said Mikoto weakly.
"I'm not leaving you here so put that out of your head." said Lucy."
"N-no, you don't understand!" Mikoto pleaded. "Th-the level shift didn't stop when you pulled me off that machine...it only abated for a bit...I-I can feel myself losing control...you have to get out of her before I.."
Lucy put Mikoto down and laid her against the wall of the hall. She then patted Mikoto's head and smiled. "Sorry about this..but I'm staying with you till the end.."
Lucy stood between Mikoto and Mikaris and took out one of her gold keys. "Open! Gate of the Lion!"
Loke appeared in a burst of golden light, wearing his usual suit and glasses. "No need to explain Lucy..I've got this one.."
"Celestial Spirits..." said Mikaris. "Immortal other dimensional creatures who imprint their appearances and capabilities based on the constalations. The most notable of these being the keys of the 12 zodiacs...I have read of this magic."
"Yeesh...aint she the smarty pants.." Loke muttered. "Not that she's wearing pants...is that like a super high tech one piece bathing suit or something?"
"No time for that!" said Lucy. "We need to clear a way through fast!!"
"No problemo!" said Loke with a grin as the ring on his finger began to glow with a golden light. "REGULUS IMPACT!!"
Loke punched his light engulfed fist outwards and a ginormous lion's face made entirely out of golden light engulfed Mikaris in an explosion of power.
"Alright Loke!" said Lucy pumping her fist.
"Dang it!" said Loke, his eyes widening. "Wh-what is this girl!?"
"Eh? What!?"
The light dissapated and gave way to a massive sphere of electric power which rammed into Loke, ripping his arm apart in a burst of golden light.
Loke staggered back, panting. "Dang it..."
"Oh please.." said Mikaris. "As a celestial spirit, your arm should regenerate eventually."
"Lucy...take Mikoto and run now..I'll hold her off as long as I can.." said Loke. "Don't worry, nobody can kill a Celestial Spirit."
"Hold me off?" said Mikaris. "Now that's just a bother."
Mikaris held out her hand, and immediately Loke soared over, his right hand out in front of him.
Mikaris grabbed the surprised Loke's ring finger. "the sad thing about abilities that rely on metal objects like rings...is they always end up in cinch where magnetism is concerned."
Loke yelled out as a massive surge of electricity travelled through his finger and the rest of his body and exploded into golden dust.
"And just to prevent any more minor annoyances.." said Mikaris thrusting out her hand again.
Lucy's keys all flew out of her bag and straight into Mikaris's hand. "I'm sure the analysts will want to look at these..."
Mikaris's eyes widened slightly as she looked up back at Lucy. "What are you doing?"
Lucy had her arms spread out as she stood in front of Mikoto, her expression determined. "I won't let you take her..."
"You would be wise to step aside. " said Mikaris. "You have no longer any means to defend yourself without your keys...and by my analysis, that whip at your side will not be much help against my power.."
"I don't care...she's not going back to that hell.." said Lucy not moving an inch.
"If you don't move." said Mikaris pointing her guantlett at Lucy and activating the Armor Enhanced Railgun. "I won't gauruntee that all of you will still be in one spot..."
"I'm not moving.." growled Lucy.
Mikaris's eye began to twitch with irritation. "Why!? Why would you protect her when you could save your own life right now!?"
"Because.." said Lucy. "She's my sister.."
"Impossible..DNA scanners indicated no blood relation between you two!" said Mikaris.
"Who said we had to be blood related!?" shouted Lucy. "She's a member of Fairy Tail..my family...and that means she'll always be my sister!! And I'd never leave my own sister to save my own stupid life! So fire that stupid thing of yours!! I'm not moving!!!"
"L-Lucy.." Mikoto murmured.
Mikaris gritted her teeth angrilly. "Why..WHY IS IT THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT!? You want death!? Well then, LET ME GIVE IT TO YOU!!!"
There was a massive spark, as the A.E.R fired on Lucy. But then there was an equally large flash of lightning and Lucy stepped back in surprise to find that there was a massive wing made of lightning shielding her.
Mikoto stepped forward in front of Lucy, her other wing coming out in a burst of sparks. "Don't you dare touch her..."
Mikoto suddenly gave a weak cry and fell to one knee as a black electric spark jumped out of her bangs.
"Hmmm...so you're trying to hold back the level shift and fight me at the same time?" said Mikaris. "Your power won't hold up against me that way.."
"Well I can try..." growled Mikoto. "DEMOLITION FIST OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!"
Mikoto thrust her fist out and a ginormous fist made of lightning launched out at Mikaris who engulfed her guantlett in lightning and punched the fist, causing a large explosion to blind the entire area.
Mikoto, using the light as a distraction, launched herself through the blast and shoulder tackled Mikaris, her entire body engulfed in lightning.
There were several large explosions as the shoulder tackle blasted the two combatants through most of the lab. Finally the two burst outside and crashed through twelve sky scrapers before coming to a stop in the street.
Mikoto and Mikaris both jumped out of the dust as Mikoto puffed up her cheeks. "Roar of the Thunder Dragon!!"
Mikaris thrusted her hands out and shot out an equally powerful blast of lightning from her hands. The two blasts collided in a massive explosion as the two landed on the ground and faced each other.
Mikoto panted and sweated as she struggled to hold the rising power level within her body, black electricity was sparking out of the edge of her bright bluish wings. She could feel she didn't have much time...she had to end this quickly.
"Fool...as long as you continue to hold back yourself, you won't be able to fight me at full strength." said Mikaris. "And that means I have the upper hand."
Mikoto knew Mikaris was right. She and her Edolas self weren't the best matchup for a quick battle. Mikoto's Thunder Dragon nature and her esper power made her extremely resistant to electricity, it took a lot of voltage to actually hurt her just like it would probably take super nova flames to hurt Natsu. She suspected this was the same case with Mikaris what with her A.E.A. and equal esper abilities. This would typically be a long and drawn out fight given that they both were fighting at full strength...but Mikoto currently had the handicap this battle.
"I need an edge.." muttered Mikoto. "Darn it.."
Mikaris launched herself at Mikoto and blasted a large stream of lightning at Mikoto.
Mikoto concentrated best she could and her body instantly morphed into pure lightning. The lightning blasted right behind Mikaris and reformed into Mikoto who punched her lightning engulfed fist straight into the back of Mikaris's head.
As Mikaris flew into a nearby building with a boom, Mikoto silently thanked Laxus Dreyar a thousand times over for all the training sessions they had. Mikoto raised her hands and immediately she was holding a large spear made of pure lightning.
"HEAVENWARD HALBERD OF THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!" Mikoto threw the giant spear at Mikaris who launched herself at the spear and grabbed it with her gauntlett. The spear exploded in a giant wave of power and Mikaris burst out of the explosion her eyes livid.
"Order 21: Blitzkrieg Grip!!"2
There was a blur of incredible speed, and before Mikoto knew it, Mikaris had her gauntlett clutched around Mikoto's throat. Mikoto sweated and quivered as she could no longer move as she tried to hold back her level shift.
"I am quite tempted to kill you right now.." said Mikaris. "But I feel another few hours in the chair should be enough to suppress your rebellious streak."
Desperate, Mikoto reached deep within her heart and cried out to the one who dwelled within. Elanis! Please! I need your help!
I am sorry my child...my powers has rules to it...I cannot break the laws of dieties...
I know that! I just need you to tell me something...Dragon Skin...How do I use it!?
Don't be foolish child..without years of training, this technique might tear your body apart!
I don't care...because unless I wanna go rampaging through the city without any control...this is my only option.
Very well...
Mikoto shuddered as the information was suddenly downloaded into her mind in an instant, the exact nature of the technique she needed suddenly revealed itself as if she had always known it. Mikoto yelled as her entire body became engulfed in such bright lightning that her entire body became obscured in light.
Mikaris let go of Mikoto with a cry, "What!? Impossible!! What is this!?"
The lightning figure that was Mikoto suddenly began to grow larger. Hands turned into the shape of talons, The pure lightning wings suddenly started to look much more solid.. a large tail grew out.
The lightning suddenly peeled itself back as if it was a second skin. When the electricity cleared, a massive dragon the size of a house was standing there. It's golden scales shone like the sun, It's silver horns and spines on it's back sparked with powerful electric energy as well as it's teeth.
Mikoto spread her now solid beautiful bat-like wings and roared so loudly that all the glass in the area shattered.
"There was nothing in the research about this.." murmured Mikaris. "No...I won't be intimidated...I won't lose to a stupid lizard!!"
Mikaris pressed the button on her gauntlett and immediately activated Boundary Removal. Mikaris engulfed her entire body in lightning and shot at the golden dragon like a bullet. But suddenly there was a blur and the dragon was gone.
"Wh-what!?" Mikaris just had time to say before the dragon suddenly appeared behind her.
Mikoto engulfed her massive tail in lightning and slammed it against Mikaris. Mikaris flew at collosal speed and smashed through over 50 sky scrapers which all immediately collapsed in a tremendous trail of dust.
Mikaris smashed her way through the rubble, gasping for breath only to see the magnificent dragon flying above her.
Mikoto opened her jaws, and a massive beam of lightning blasted straight into Mikaris with a tremendous explosion.
Right after the roar attack, Mikoto crashed into ground wearilly, and in a flash of golden light, she reverted to her human form, panting and too tired to even move. Next to her, Mikaris lay looking just as exhausted.
"What...the...hell.." muttered Mikaris.
"Tell me about it.." muttered Mikoto. "I'm not even sure what I just did."
"Heh.." said Mikaris looking at the few fragments on her hand that was all that was left of her Armor Enhanced Railgun. "You even broke my A.E.R., how annoying.."
Mikoto suddenly heard the sound of footsteps and Erza kneeled down next to her. "E-Erza?"
"Hey...you caused quite a ruckus. " said Erza with a slight smile. "I doubt there's a single soul in this city who didn't feel all that Magic energy just now."
"MIKOTO!!!" Natsu Dragneel ran out, followed by Lucy, Gunha, Happy, and Elli. Funnily enough Misaki was there as well followed by a guy who looked a lot like Jellal.
"Wh-what's Jellal doing here..?" asked Mikoto groggilly.
"Found this guy while I was looking around in the prison area." said Misaki with a wink. "freed a whole bunch of other folks too, but this one wanted to come along."
"Mystogan!" Natsu said with a grin. "Long time no see man!"
Mikoto opened her mouth to say something but suddenly stopped as her head started to throb painfully. "Oh no...I can't hold it back anymore..."
"What!?" said Erza. "What's wrong?"
"EVERYONE RUN!!!" Mikoto screamed. But it was too late...a massive black lightningbolt blasted out of Mikoto as she levitated off the ground and grew massive raven black wings, a hard scaled plasma tail and long black horns. Her body became bright and nearly completely white as the energy around her began to burn even more powerfully.
"Hurry!" Shouted Erza. "We have to get closer to her before she evolves further!"
"Jeez..you make it sound easy!" said Misaki. "And what the heck is that supposed to accomplish!?"
"I don't have time to explain...but if we manage to get close enough, I have something I think should snap her out of it..now hurry!"
Everyone converged on Mikoto at once, attempting to reach her...but before they could, the Psychic Supreme appeared before them in a massive burst of light.
"YOU!" shouted Natsu. "What do you want!?"
"What I've wanted ever since I heard Mikoto Misaka of Earthland was here..." said the Psychic Supreme. "Two Railguns to aim at all my enemies..."
The armored man grabbed a surprised Mikaris by her torso and held her up in front of the evolving Mikoto.
"S-sir?" Mikaris said with surprise. "What is this!?"
"A little something I've been researching on.." said the Psychic Supreme. "Don't worry, you did want to become stronger...didn't you?"
The Psychic Supreme attached a strange ring like device to Mikaris's head...immediately she started screaming, and so did Mikoto, as black lightning suddenly interlocked both their heads. Mikaris soared up over to Mikoto...there was a massive burst of black lightning...and then....levitating there was one Misaka, only she was completely comprised of a white plasma that had ribbons flowing down from her arms and legs. Her head was completely black, and power eminated from her like a unrelenting generator..
"No...Mikoto!" said Erza with horror.
"N-No way.." said Mystogan. "What the heck is this!?"
"YOU FOOL!!" Yelled out Natsu. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!?"
"I know exactly what I've done..." said the Psychic Supreme. "I've gained a weapon beyond imagining..."
The Psychic Supreme held up a high tech looking remote. "This is linked to the Link Gear I installed on General Misaka...with it I should be able to..."
The Psychic Supreme pressed a button on the remote....and nothing happened. "What!? No!! I should have complete control!"
The Psychic Supreme pressed the button again and again, but all the Level 6 being did was levitate there without a single thought or purpose.
"This is...different." said Lucy. "When Mikoto went Level 6 last time, she nearly blew apart half of Crocus..what's going on!?"
Misaki narrowed her eyes as she took a remote from her bag and clicked it. "I can't read what's in there because of the electromagnetic field around her brain...but I can get enough to know that there is definitely something going on in there....their consciousnesses seem to be still seperate.
As it so happened Misaki was right...there was something currently going on inside the Level 6 being's head.
Mikoto opened her eyes and looked around, she seemed to be floating around in an empty white space. And floating in front of her, was none other then Mikaris.
"Where are we?" Mikoto murmured.
"A deadzone in between our minds." said Mikaris. "Because our brains failed to hook up properly, you could say that we're now absolutely frozen, like a computer that's tried to download too much."
Mikoto paused for a moment. "Will we ever be able to get out of it?"
Mikaris shook her head. "I don't know, if possible, we could be stuck like this indefinitely."
Mikoto sighed. "Well this sucks, but I guess it could be worse."
Mikaris raised an eyebrow. "How could it be worse?'
"Well we could be stuck alone with nobody to talk to...but with the two of us here.."
Mikaris harrumphed. "Oh please..I have nothing I want to say to you." But Mikoto managed to see just the hint of a grateful smile carress Mikaris's lips like a small miracle.
"Mikaris.." Said Mikoto..."Why...?"
"Why what?" muttered Mikaris.
"Why do you do all of this...as much as you try...every time we've fought..every time you've tried to break me..you never seemed to have your heart in it.." said Mikoto.
"If this is another lame strategy to 'save' me, it's pointless."
"Maybe..maybe not." said Mikoto. "But considering that we're both pretty much stuck here for a while...it wouldn't hurt to talk about something..."
Mikaris paused. "How can you be so nice to me? After I just put you through hell? Torturing you into a level shift like that?"
Mikoto smiled. "Our Accelerator from Earthland murdured over 10,000 of my Sisters and laughed about it in my face before trying to kill me when I found out. Now he's joined Fairy Tail, lives with two of my Sisters as if they're his family, and attracts a crowd of girls wherever he goes in Magnolia Town...I'm no stranger to what people call hopeless causes defying all logic."
"Mikoto Misaka" Mikaris murmured. "You are a very unusual girl...Other then Erza...I've never met anyone else who has been so kind to me...even after I've put them through an unbearable pain...."
Mikaris paused again. "Fine...but if you wish to know....I will have to tell you everything...from the beginning of my life."
And so Mikaris began her tale...and what an unusual tale it was...