When the Devil Broke the Universe

Kyoko stormed out of Tel Mithryn with a deadly look, a bag of candied ash yams she'd "liberated" from the kitchen clenched tightly in her white-knuckled grip. Thank Christ there was at least one kind of sweet junk food in this shithole of a world. She'd barged into the kitchen and virtually strong-armed the people working there, stealing the bag in broad daylight. It was far less classy than her normal smash-and-grab job and she was probably going to pay for it later, but for the moment she found she could not care less.

Stupid bitch. The teacher was on her shit list for sure. With a small handful of spells under Kyoko and Nagisa's belts, it had been decided that they would now focus on the Illusion school of magic.

And of course, even with Tamrielic magic instead of her own, Kyoko couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried. And she had tried. There was just a…a block there, for lack of a better term, just like with her old powers.

And in response after a nasty screaming match, her teacher had called her an idiot—and that had been the breaking point. Already frustrated and stressed, Kyoko had only seen red and immediately went for the kill with a few well-placed physical blows… with a few fireballs for effect, of course. In hindsight, part of Kyoko wished she hadn't assaulted her teacher, but at the same time? To hell with her. To hell with all of them.

Kyoko jumped up onto the top of a mushroom on the edge of Neloth's fungal forest. Tel Mithryn was still visible in the distance in front of the giant volcano that lined the horizon, but this far away the fungal castle was but a bump surrounded by a sea of smaller mushrooms. It wasn't the Mitakihara skyline, or even Kazamino, but she was taking what small comforts she could get right now.

The redhead sighed in a mix of emotions. What was she even doing here? Selling herself out for science? Letting some asshole old man poke and prod her because if she didn't, he'd go after a goddamn child? What a life she was leading; that of a living guinea pig. At this point she'd take her life before Homura's ascension back—at least then she was free.

She felt adrift; she hadn't seen another human besides Nagisa in over a week. None of the food looked anything like back home. Everywhere she looked was so alien—even the would-be normal average trees were bombed out shells; twisted and ash-blasted. There was no sun, no moon, no stars—just endless smog. Mushrooms instead of buildings. Guar instead of cows or horses. Not a single television or game console in sight. Everything she had been, everything she'd ever known from before a week ago had been stripped from her.

She could leave right now; Raven Rock was a day or two away via guar. She knew a bit of magic now and she was kind of sure she could probably make a run for it. And once in town, she'd go back to simply thieving for food and money, and eventually stow away on a ship to better places. She'd done a bit of reading with Nagisa—the Imperial City sounded nice.

But… Nagisa was still here. She could take Nagisa with her, but somehow she doubted the younger girl was really up to the role of street rat (though why did that seem so oddly familiar?). Mitakihara was one thing; it had been a technological wonder where even the poor had it pretty good. But some shithole medieval mudpit? At least right now, she could ensure Nagisa had someplace stable to live, as toxic as it was. She couldn't promise that in Raven Rock.

… Why did she care so much about Nagisa? She hadn't even known the girl before Homura's ascension, and even after that point had only known her as the kid that hung around Mami. She was a fun kid to have around for sure, but…

… No, no. Kyoko knew exactly why she was taking care of Nagisa. She wasn't dumb enough to be able to fool herself about that, as much as she wished she could. God damn it.

Kyoko curled up in a ball, letting the bag of candied yams drop to her side as her hands ran through her hair. The stress and worry and guilt of all of this was finally starting to get to her and she couldn't take it anymore. Living on the street alone was one thing—being thrown into this situation where everything was Other and she had no anchors and was being used was beginning to give her issues.

… She missed home. She missed it so much. Blue skies, green grass, well-lit city nights, arcades, the sound of a hotel air conditioner kicking in, pocky. Apples. God, she missed real fruit.

Real honest-to-god walls and not this fungus bullshit.

Kyoko was so wrapped up in her thoughts she almost didn't notice the roar in the distance. She'd heard it before; often when she was outside there would be something with a thundering call echoing across the island.

But then the roar came again, and it was much closer. Kyoko looked up from her huddled body in the direction of the sound. Out towards the mountains to the north was something flying in the distance, definitely not a bird, but more serpentine and with great bat-like wings.

Another roar. Kyoko's eyes widened when it turned in her direction, almost as if it had just noticed her.

…It was a dragon, and it was now headed right for her. The redhead stood, ready to jump just in case—

"**YOL TOOR SHUL!**"

The booming voice came down on Kyoko as a wave of fire, incinerating the mushroom Kyoko had barely escaped from. She landed on the ground and broke into a sprint as the dragon came around and spoke again. Another torrent of flame burned a second mushroom to ashes as she wheeled around it. The bag of food in her hand melted away.

Well, that sucked.

"**FUS RO DAH!**"

Turning back even as she kept moving forward, Kyoko summoned a ward, protecting her from the worst of the kinetic attack, but it still sent her flying into the trunk of another mushroom.

With a thud that shook the forest, the dragon touched down on the ground, towering over Kyoko as a predator would its downed prey. Kyoko got to her knees, summoning fire to her hands as if that was going to do anything to the impressive beast before her, who could fit her entire body within his mouth if he so pleased.

This was it. This was how she was going to die.

The dragon's head approached her, sniffing her as if searching for something.

"**… You reek of Daedric magic. Volaan, why are you here?**"

"I… what?" Kyoko managed to sputter out as she backed up against the mushroom. Who was Volaan?

The dragon replied, **"You are one of the volaanne, intruders. Why have you come to lein, our world?**"

"… I have zero idea what's happening right now," Kyoko admitted blankly. She'd been about to die, hadn't she? She could still die. So why was the big hungry beast trying to start a conversation with her, and what was he blaming her for?

The dragon snorted in contempt, **"You came from another lein, did you not? You have brought with you chaos.**"

Kyoko got a bit indignant at that one, "What the hell did I do?! I've been living in some crazy man's mushroom castle for the past week! I haven't done shit!"

"**Events have begun which cannot be undone,**" the dragon replied, **"Lah, magic has shifted, your presence has upset roh, the balance.**"

"Well screw you too," Kyoko grunted, "I didn't come here by choice, you know."

"**Perhaps or perhaps not, but you came here all the same. And now, that must be rectified.**" The dragon prepared another attack, and Kyoko instinctively shielded herself with her arms.

"And that will be quite enough of that," said Neloth, approaching with Nagisa and four Telvanni guards in tow.

The dragon regarded the newcomers, **"Tiresome mage. Joorre like you know not what they meddle with.**"

"Aspects of a fallen god, yes?" Neloth replied with his typical dryness, "I'm well aware. They're also under my protection. What I don't understand is why you're on my property."

The dragon took a moment to consider his next move. The girl was one thing, but taking on the resident Telvanni master and a squadron of well-trained Telvanni guards? Those odds were a bit more dicey, and not particularly worth it. The dragon snorted in irritation, **"Mey, fool. Daanii is coming.**" With that the large reptilian flapped his mighty wings and launched himself back into the air before making a turn and flying away back to where he came from.

"… Daanii?" Nagisa asked.

"Roughly translated? Doom," Neloth answered as he watched the dragon slowly disappear in the distance, "Dragons are a melodramatic bunch, especially when their pride has been wounded." He frowned, making a mental note to up the number of guards keeping watch on each shift, then he turned his attention to Kyoko, "Didn't I warn you about wandering Solstheim alone?"

"Not like you actually care," the redhead grumbled back in a somewhat petulant tone, irritated that it was Neloth of all people who had saved her from her own stupidity. Nagisa gave her a look, as if she was wrestling with something.

Neloth rolled his eyes, "Well, if you're quite done with your juvenile antics, I think it's time we return to the tower, don't you? You're late for your session with me, and I don't like to be kept waiting".

Kyoko's fists clenched as her expression darkened once more. Chastised like a child again after proving she was, in fact, woefully ill-prepared to make her planned trip to Raven Rock. And so now it was back to being poked and prodded by a mad wizard, back to enduring humiliation, and back to being berated by some old lady because she couldn't do a certain type of magic because her goddamn family was dead.

As they walked, Nagisa's arm wrapped around hers as the younger girl latched on to her, a concerned expression on her face as she looked up at her. Kyoko gave her a faint reassuring smile, but it didn't last long.