Riddles and Riots

.:The Hero's Welcome:.

"Fresh lamb, we have delicious, fresh lamb! Raised locally!" A man waved around a small cowbell to attract customers into his outdoor shop.
          "Beef, chicken, and pork! The juiciest in all the region!" Another man competed, raising his voice above the chaos of the market.
          Kirishima salivated like a faucet at the wonderful scents of the kingdom. He followed his magical companion out of a nearby clothing shop, decked out in brand new attire. A black and amber striped scarf layered an open silver vest, with no shirt to cover the skin beneath.
"Sorry, we sold our last wool shirt earlier today! Come back next week!" The store owner apologized.
          It was no big deal, he was used to only wearing pants anyway, which to his excitement, were now much newer and cleaner. The silver trousers matched his vest, layered beneath another loose red fabric that acted as nothing more than a cape for his butt. He thought it was strange, but he didn't want to argue with the oddly feminine man that screamed at him, "It's called FASHION!".
          Finally, he wasn't sure how he felt about them yet, but on his feet were heavy black leather boots. They stopped just before his knees, tied securely by thick silver strings. He most certainly was not used to anything on his feet, making Uraraka fall over giggling when he took his first steps. He looked like a parade horse with how high he raised his legs.
At one point during the day, he completely forgot the boots were on, and leapt a good six feet in the air out of fright upon seeing them. After nearly ten minutes of laughing, she promised to forever give him shit about it. Needless to say, Kirishima never forgot about his shoes again.
          Now the two walked along the Southeast streets of One For All, the witch's hand grasped tightly around his wrist to keep him from slipping into the crowd.
          "Pretty lady, your eyes would sparkle beautifully with this lovely- oh, Uraraka, sweet child! It's been so long!" An older woman approached her, holding a long string of pearls.
          "It has! I'm so glad to be back!" She happily hugged the woman, readjusting her hat to sit comfortably on her head.
          "Silly girl, still holding tight to that old hat? At least let me hem it to fit you a little better!" The woman chuckled.
          The witch smiled warmly. "Thank you ma'am, but I love it the way it is! I appreciate the kind offer, though!" She bowed respectfully, leading Kirishima away from the vendor with a wave goodbye.
          They walked only a few steps when another shout emitted from the shop next to them. "Uraraka! Welcome back!"
They couldn't even squeeze out a response when the whole street began to rejoice.
          "It's Uraraka!"
          "Welcome!"
          "Marry me, Uraraka!"
          "We missed you!"
          All sorts of shops and bystanders welcomed her. One brave soul even handed her a red rose, making her blush bashfully. "You all are too kind, thank you so much!"
          "No, thank you, Uraraka! You are always welcome here!" Another woman wrapped her in a gentle hug.
          What seemed like an hour later, they finally caught a break at the street corner. Kirishima stared at her and she caught his eye, grinning.
          "I suppose that was a little much for you, I'm sorry. I'm the only witch these people trust nowadays, so I need to be a good representative for other good witches!" She pumped her fist in the air. Kirishima cocked his head.
          "What made them like you so much?"
          Her first expression said she thought he was crazy, but then she remembered who she was talking too. "Ah, I forget you're not from around here, it's kind of a long story but I'll make it easy for you." She fluffed her dress with a sigh.
          "A few years ago, when I was just a witch's apprentice, the entire capitol came down with a horrible disease, including the King. My teacher was also a good witch, and worked very hard to find a cure." Her voice lowered into a solemn hush.
          "Unfortunately...she was never able to find one, until she, too, passed away from the sickness." She paused, her hat slipping over her face. "I was able to finish her work and complete the cure, saving the city and the King. I'm glad I did, but sometimes I feel like the cost was too great for me..." She wiped her eyes, hoping Kirishima didn't see the tears threatening to spill. She sniffled and pulled her hat back up, the everlasting smile back on her lips.
          "Now I stand in her place! If there is ever an incurable plague in the region, I will be there to challenge it! I'll never give up, not until death takes me, too!"
          Kirishima's heart warmed. She was so strong, he admired her like no other.
          "Anyway, let's keep going!" She rest her staff on her shoulder and led the way around the corner. Kirishima followed loyally.
          "Stop them!! Thieves!!" An old man's cry rang in Kirishima's sensitive ears. He twist his head to the sound of commotion, unprepared for something heavy to slam into his back.
          "Move it, asshole!!" Two cloaked figures stumbled past him, ignoring the one that ran into Kirishima. Their hands carried large sacks leaking with jewelry as a helpless shop owner chased after them with a broom.
          "Stop them, please!! Don't let them get away!" He pleaded.
          Looking around, it didn't seem as though anyone nearby was fit for a fight; that is, until Uraraka appeared at his side with her staff raised. Her feet levitated off the ground.
          "I'll have you know, being a good witch means I don't take kindly to bad people!" She puffed her chest and twirled her staff, emitting a bright glow that spewed a hailstorm of marble-sized purple blasts.
          Citizens cleared the way just in time. The attack rained upon one of the burglars, forcing him to the ground with a heavy thud. The other two thieves whirled on her, raising their fists.
          "Uraraka is here to stop them!"
          "Hooray, Uraraka! We love you!"
          The townspeople cheered her on from the sidelines. Her intense gaze never left the enemies as they returned fire with their own magical abilities. One of them cast a string of steel from his palms, just missing the witch's cheek by a hair. She recoiled quickly, swinging her staff behind her and riding it into the sky.
          Kirishima had never seen such an elegant fighting style. Her moves were on par with theirs, if not far superior. He heard the chants of the people, proclaiming her to be their savior, their salvation, their hero. She truly was everything he dreamed he could be.
          "Give back what you stole and turn yourselves in, or I'll do it myself!" She threatened, grasping the staff firmly in her hands, still floating high in the air.
          Two of the three were downed, only the largest hidden figure remaining. It growled furiously, still holding tight to the bag of stolen goods. Uraraka's eyes narrowed, catching a glimpse of something strange beneath its hood.
          Her hunch was confirmed when a stream of sickly black gas oozed from its jaws. The gas swarmed all the surrounding area, sending civilians scrambling to escape its horrible stench. It washed over Uraraka, forcing her to retreat further back.
          She turned to Kirishima, who stood paralyzed outside of the wall of gas, desperation flooding her eyes. "Get the citizens away from here, now! It's a-"
          With nothing but a quiet click of warning, a spark ignited from the thief's mouth, detonating every inch of gas into a discord of silver explosions. The sound was deafening, expelling a force so strong it shook the entire street to their knees.
          Kirishima was blown back, crashing through the glass of a flower shop's window. His ears rang, but otherwise he remained unharmed, thanks to his reflexive hardening. He pried himself out of the broken pots and dirt mounds, leaping back out the window in search of his familiar friend. He spotted her on a roof across the street, struggling to stand and covered in soot.
          Another click sounded close by. He turned to face the man that did this to her, ready for a fight, but again, he froze. This time, not because of fear, but of his opponent's revelation.
          His long black and silver hair rest in many tiny braids between two large speckled wings. His lips parted in a snarl, revealing long, sharp canines. Sprouting from his lower back a long, thin tail like that of a rat's, riddled with black and gray scales and fins.
          The new hybrid met his eyes ravenously. Kirishima flinched, fear paralyzing him once again. The man's pupils were nothing but paper-thin slits scouring the crowd for his next meal. They bore a dangerous challenge, daring them to try to stop him.
          "Be careful, Uraraka!" Someone shouted. Looking to his side, his witchy friend appeared out of nowhere, coughing and gripping a deep gash on her thigh.
          "Kiri, this one's a hybrid Blitz! Don't get involved if you can't handle it!" She choked. "I should have been more careful. You help the people escape, I'll take care of him before he shifts!" She lift her staff again, raising herself off the ground and floating carefully towards it. She grit her teeth with determination.
          The hybrid grumbled, lips once more secreting thick black gas onto the street. His sanity seemed to drain with each second of combat, wings growing larger, long spiraled horns erecting from his head, with more glimmering scales crawling over his body like a colony of ants.
          "Please, sir, you must calm down! We don't need the situation to escalate further than it already has!" Uraraka raised her hands to show she meant no harm. "Please, let's end the fight here! Take what you stole and leave, nobody has to get hurt!"
          Kirishima couldn't understand what she was saying. Why was she letting him go? Why was she giving up so easily? He stepped towards her when a cry for help forced him to a halt. Looking over his shoulder he caught sight of a little girl under a large pile of debris. Her hands bled as she tried to pull herself away, crying for her mother.
          Immediately he raced to her side, carefully lifting the bricks to pull her out. Once she was in his hands he looked around at the screams of other nearby civilians. Their bodies were dirtied with ash as they watched Uraraka fearfully.
          Realization smacked him in the face. Now he understood. Against a hazardous dragon such as an explosive Blitz, her efforts to calm it would save many more lives than confrontation. She understood what must be done to save everyone, even if it meant letting the enemy go.
          The silver hybrid shook as if he were fighting with himself. His wings spread wide as he prepared to flee, allowing Uraraka to sigh with relief. That is, until he grabbed at his head, ripping a handful of strands from his scalp, and roaring for all to hear. Charging into her at full force, he slammed Uraraka against another wall, leaving a huge crater in the stone. More black mist flowed from his jaws as warning clicks sounded from the back of his throat.
          "Uraraka!" Kirishima cried. After handing the child to her bewailing mother, he raced to the scene. Fear reflected off Uraraka's eyes at the other hybrid, bringing to light a feeling Kirishima had never felt before. It was fear, much like the same he bore when imprisoned; However instead of centering on himself, he was watching someone else endure the pain. It enraged him, so much so he nearly revealed his wings and claws.
          Before the sparks could leave the enemy's mouth, Kirishima barreled into him, knocking him off of the witch and dragging it to the ground. He tussled with the Blitz as smoke and gas danced around them. It slashed its silver claws against Kirishima's face, but he hardened his body to pale crystal, bouncing the attack right off.
          "Kirishima, stop! Get out of there!" He heard the witch command, but he couldn't listen now. Not when the hybrid could light the gas at any moment with her still inside.
          "Kirishima!" She cried again. He did all he could to keep his hands pressed firmly over the hybrid's mouth. It kicked, flailed, and raged, eventually using its bigger body to overpower him. His eyes widened as the hybrid's throat began to glow.
          "Kiri-!!" In a split second everything was swamped out of existence by a surge of white light, unbearable heat, and a cacophony of unpleasant sounds. The street crumbled beneath their feet. Glass windows all the way down the road shattered. Buildings cracked as a powerful wave of energy rippled through the city. Smoke filled the street as people wailed with dread. The Blitz was the only one still standing at the center of the chaos.