Tales of Destiny: The Ancient Power
Okay, here is story number 2! I'm gonna try and go a little more in depth. Reviewing my first story, I noticed it was a little short on details, mostly the fights. I'm gonna try and fix that. Oh, and I own nothing besides my own characters.
Chapter 1: Six Months
Many years ago, a great battle between Good and Evil raged. It had taken places for years on end. Finally, the two sides' champions, a demon for Evil, and a human for Good, faced each other in single combat. It was a deadlock until, by some twist of fate, Evil gained the upper hand. When all hope seemed lost, the human put the last of his power into one final attack that sealed the demon away. This came at a price. Before he died, the human said a prophecy that one day another would appear to take his place. When asked how the worlds would know, he replied, "Look to the sword."
Many years later, a boy named Dylan Mitchell came to the worlds. Chosen by the Sword of Souls, he defeated an evil force of his own creation and prevented the worlds from invasion. Now he lives in the worlds, taking his place among their heroes. However, he has yet to learn of the ancient mysterious energy that rests within him and the power that it holds…
In a hall covered in darkness, an old man in black robes sat on a high throne, deep in thought, his eyes glittering. He was a man with simple goals; at least they seemed that to him. Not that he cared about others' opinions.
There was a shuffling, and several sets of feet pattered their way into the hall. Several figures entered the hall, stepped forward, and kneeled.
The man looked up. "Speak, my servants. Is my kingdom ready for me to rule?"
The foremost figure moved forward a little. "My lord Kiritsu (I think this means "Order" in Japanese), the rocks cannot move themselves, nor can buildings form on their own. More workers are needed, strong young ones who can labor for many seasons on end. Several more slaves have died this year."
The man on the throne, Kiritsu was silent. Then…
"Are there no more captives in the cells or in any of the mines?"
"My lord, the mines have little of their own. No slaves can spared from them. The cells have been empty for several months."
"And the forests?"
"None dare to pass through. They go around."
"Hmmm. Then you must work with what you have. Have your unit push the remaining slaves harder. You must go and find more."
"Where do you wish me to look, my lord?"
"That is your affair. Just make sure that they are able for great labor."
Silence.
"My lord Kiritsu, I hear and obey."
With that, the lead figure rose and left. The group followed.
The hall was silent. Kiritsu looked at the ceiling, a satisfied look on his wrinkling face.
'Soon, I will complete and utter ruler. All who defy me will die, no matter who they are.'
----
The figure had left the hall. His unit left. They knew their orders.
The figure pulled back the hood to reveal a face somewhat younger but more battle-worn than Kiritsu's. He was wearing a special armor underneath his cloak, but that wasn't his concern. He intended to find the workers his master required, and he knew just where to start.
He reached into his cloak and pulled out what remained of a ninja headband. He had found the pieces one day on patrol. The plate scratched a little but in fair condition. The plate had a leaf insignia on it. The symbol brought a buried memory to mind, of a young blond-haired boy wearing an orange jumpsuit holding a ball of chakra in his hand. The figure clutched the plate as a spurt of anger coursed through him.
He set the headband on the table, made a fist, and crushed the plate, shattering it.
Looking at the pieces calmed him and he left to make preparations.
'Soon, that will be his head. I will make sure of it!'
He chuckled and started laughing. His laughter became louder and more maniacal as it resounded through the stronghold, sending shudders down the spine of those who held it.
------
"Dylan? Dylan!"
Melissa wrung her hands as she looked around the village, looking for her son, Dylan, who was missing again. He wasn't seen in Mobius, so she was walking through the Leaf Village, to see if he was there.
'He's going to give me grey hairs before my time.'
The two ANBU at the door to the Hokage Tower parted to let her through. Melissa walked through and up to the office door. She knocked and a voice said, "Enter."
Melissa walked in to see Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, doing some paperwork. Tsunade looked and gave a smile.
"Ah, Mrs. Mitchell. What is the purpose of the visit?"
Melissa gave a short bow. "Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry to trouble you, but have you seen Dylan today?"
"Hmm. I can't say that I have, but most likely he's with Naruto. The two get along like old friends. Strange thing is, I sent Naruto to deal with a C-rank mission just now, to deal with a group of bandits on the trade route between the Leaf and the Sand. Most likely he took Dylan with him."
"Okay, because he went missing a while ago. He left a note saying he was out, but he didn't say where."
"Don't worry, he's not helpless, but you can wait here until he get's back."
----
A huge gate of wooden stakes stood near the passage through a valley. It gave off a menacing vibe, at least to merchants. Several bandits were snoozing, the trophies from their previous looting around them. Then there was a shout.
"ALRIGHT, YOU BANDITS! OPEN UP!"
Surprised, the bandits woke up.
"Who's that?"
"An idiot, that's who, let's teach the fool a lesson."
Getting their weapons, the bandits opened the door.
There in front of the door was a young, blonde-headed kid. He looked about fifteen and was wearing an orange and black jumpsuit. He wore a headband on his forehead with a leaf symbol on it.
"Who are you supposed to be, little brat?"
"Yeah, who are ya!?" was the shout from several of the bandits.
The blonde grinned.
"I go by many names, but I am Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf! By the order of the Hokage, I've been sent to remove you from this trade route. Are you coming quietly, or do I have to bust some heads?!"
"Say WHAT!?" said a bigger bandit.
"Let's get him!" said another bandit.
All of them charged at Naruto. Naruto made a handsign.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Several clones appeared around Naruto.
"ATTACK!"
The two sides clashed, swords swinging and fists flying.
Though losing some of their number, the Narutos took out several of the bandits. The rest were stunned.
"Who IS this brat?!"
Naruto smirked.
"Had enough yet!?"
While he said this, another bandit was on top of the ledge behind him. The bandit leaped.
"YAHH!"
Naruto turned to see the bandit swinging his blade to cut off Naruto's head.
The sword never connected.
"CHAOS CONTROL!"
A blur slammed into the bandit.
When he got up, the bandit stared at the new arrival. He was wearing a vest over a black jumpsuit. What caught the bandit's eye was the purple sword the guy was carrying.
"What the…"
Dylan grinned and struck a pose as more bandits came running up. "Your reign or terror over the merchants of the villages ends here!" he shouted heroically.
He charged forward.
"Chaos Control!"
He disappeared, warping around the pack of bandits, scattering them with each blow.
The bandit got up, terrified.
"Let's get out of here!"
"Yeah!"
With a speed that rivaled Sonic the Hedgehog, all bandits fled.
Dylan and Naruto high fived.
"Yeah! That was fun. You were right, Naruto!"
"You think this is fun, there is also B and A rank missions! They usually have ninja to fight!"
Dylan smiled. "I wonder if they could counter Chaos Control?"
"Best of they not. Like Shino says, it's always good to have an ace in the hole."
"Yeah, you're right. Anyway, let's head back. You have to report in right?"
"Yeah. Race you!"
Dylan smirked. "You're forgetting who you're talking to."
Both took off. Naruto jumped through the trees while Dylan ran on the ground, his feet a blur.
-----
The two finished just outside the Hokage tower.
"HA! I won!"
"No fair! You used Substitution!"
"All's fair in love and war, Dylan!"
"GAHH!"
The two walked in. Naruto knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
Both walked in. "Mission complete, Granny!"
"(sigh) When will you stop calling me that?"
"Hey, I'm not the one who's old."
Dylan stepped in. "Naruto, seriously, at least give her some respect. She IS your superior."
Tsunade smiled. "You should listen to him, Naruto."
Melissa stood up. "There you are, Dylan! Next time, tell me where you going!"
"Mom?! But I left a note saying I'd be out!"
"True, but you didn't say where. You'd need to be at least a little more responsible, young man."
"Okay. Sorry, Mom."
"It's okay, but next time say where you're going. Something could happen while you're gone."
"Okay."
Tsunade nodded. "Alright. If you two are done, I REALLY need to get this work done, so get going."
Everyone started to leave.
"Oh, and Naruto? Iruka was looking for you earlier. He wants to meet you at Ichiraku's."
"Okay. Come on, Dylan! Let's go get some ramen!"
"Umm…What is it?"
Naruto stopped, shocked.
"YOU DON'T KNOW!?"
"I'm not from here, remember?"
Naruto calmed down.
"Oh yeah. Well come on I'll show you!"
Dylan shrugged. "Oh, what the heck."
The two walked out.
Tsunade looked at Melissa. "Well, those two are like peas in a pod."
"Yeah I know. Dylan's a care-free person. He's never really had any responsibilities when growing up."
"Maybe it is better if he has some now. With all due respect, your son will have to start growing up if he is become the next Hero of Worlds. He'll need to start behaving responsibly."
"I know what you mean, but you might be judging him a little unfairly. He has a lot to live up to being the heir to the Hero. Besides, practically everyone who has met him has spoiled him since he defeated Eclipse."
Tsunade nodded. This was true. Eclipse had been a manifestation of Dylan's creation. When Eclipse absorbed the negative energy of the Chaos Emeralds, Dylan had absorbed the positive energy. In his new form, Super Dylan had used his strongest attack, the Chaos Beam, to finish Perfect Eclipse. Ever since then, Dylan had gained a fan club and everyone who was anyone was attempting to make him happy to get him to do something for them. It was mostly endorsement deals, but Melissa, with the Commander's assistance, put her foot down. She knew they were just going to use him. "Well, hopefully Dylan won't become a spoiled brat." remarked Tsunade.
"I don't think he will. Dylan may be full of himself at times, but he is a caring and modest person. He's not been one to bend the facts."
"If you say so."
------
Dylan followed Naruto to the ramen stand. A young adult was waiting for them. He had on a Chuunin vest and there was a scar across his face. Naruto smiled as they approached him.
"Hey, Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka looked up and smiled. "Naruto, there you are! Who's your friend?"
"This is Dylan. Dylan, this is Iruka-sensei!"
Dylan smiled as the he and Iruka shared a handshake. "So you're Naruto's first teacher huh?"
"Yep, back in the Academy. Naruto was a handful, that's for sure."
"Was he a bit of a troublemaker?"
"A bit? He caused trouble almost everyday. He stopped his pranks when he left the Academy though."
"I see. So, shall we head in?"
The other two nodded and they entered.
"Hi old man!" said Naruto. "Some beef ramen please, and keep it coming."
"Miso ramen for me." said Iruka.
"Umm…beef please." said Dylan.
"Coming right up." said Chef Ichiraku.
A minute later, when they started eating, Naruto turned to Iruka.
"So what's going on?"
"Well…you know the day coming up? You know, THAT day?"
Naruto was about to ask when he saw the calendar on the wall. It was October the 8th with October 10th circled.
"Oh. THAT day."
"Yeah. Well, the council has decided to increase the festivities a little, mostly due to the Destined, Dylan, being here in the worlds now. They want to appeal to him in a sense, try to get on his good side."
"More endorsement?" asked Dylan. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear. People have tried that before. Mom's not letting them."
"Well, anyway, they asked the Hokage about this, and she assigned me to help with the preparations. I know you're not a fan of it, but would you mind helping me? I really could use it."
Naruto seemed to think a bit, and then nodded. "Okay, but what will the civilians think?"
"Don't worry about them. As far as they'll be concerned, you're under orders from the Hokage. They'll leave you alone."
Dylan was confused. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Iruka was about to say something, but Naruto stopped him.
"It's okay. He knows."
"You told him?"
"He asked about it. He's already met the council."
Dylan spoke up. "They tried to get me to off Naruto, but I refused."
Iruka was suspicious. "You really don't mind it?"
Dylan turned serious. "If you saw a prison holding a murderer, would call the prison a murderer?"
Iruka was silent, contemplating that statement. "Very good point. For a second I thought…"
"Don't worry about it. During a fight with Eclipse, Naruto could've left and saved himself, but he saved me instead. He's all right in my book." He sent a grin at Naruto, who grinned back.
Once they were done, Dylan turned to Naruto. "Nice place. I might just come here regularly."
"Told you ramen was great!"
"Got that right."
Iruka stood up, having paid the tab. "All right, you two, we need to get to work. I'll see what the decoration detail is. Both of you run down to the Akimichi's and pick up the cheeses. We'll need two whites, two reds, and one of the large yellows. Be careful, though, the yellow one is rather big."
"Right."
"Ossu! (yes, sir!)"
The two ran off. Iruka smiled as he watched them go.
'Naruto, you've got a true friend there. I'm happy for you.'