Title: Into The Darkness

Author: Akanue

Fandom(s): Dragon Drive

Rating: K

Warning(s): None.

Disclaimer: I also do not own Dragon Drive or its characters. They belong to TV Tokyo, Madhouse, Kenichi Sakura, and other licensors and distributors. This is a not-for-profit fan work.

Into The Darkness

"Lin? Sue?" I question gently, entering the twin's huge chambers after knocking for several seconds. "Are you asleep?"

I gasp in shock as I see a giant black… thing in the center of the room, hovering behind Lin and Sue. "W—What is the meaning of this? Lin! Sue!" I cry, instantly worried. What was that thing?

A creepy voice that seems to echo from everywhere at once meets my ears. "These brats belong to me now. To the darkness in their own souls!"

Barely comprehending what I was doing, I stepped forward when nearly anyone else would have fled in fear. "Who are you?" I demand, my anger flaring up to cover my initial shock. A dragon?

As if that thing could read my thoughts, it responds, "I am a dragon, and yet, not a dragon. There are those who call me Darks, loyal servant to Shinryuu!"

Darks…? But that can't be! Darks is said to only possess those with darkness in their souls… I then gasp as the realization hits. "Lin! Sue! Please fight him! You are both stronger than this!"

But to my dismay, Lin only growls, "Shut up!"

"You can't save us. No one can!" Sue adds.

Tears come to my eyes. "Lin, Sue …"

"See? These two have chosen their own fate! They are completely under my control now."

"What can you possibly want with them? They're only children!" I protest, changing my strategy and trying to obtain more information about what was going on and why my charges in particular had been targeted.

"RI-ON needs strong dragon masters to give us more support in the upcoming Dragonic Heaven Tournament. Not to mention, they're children of one of Rikyuu's noble families," was the response. "They should be very useful to us."

"RI-ON? Just who or what is RI-ON?!" I cry, beginning to lose control in my panic.

"Stop your whining!" Darks growls in annoyance. "That's none of your concern. But it does seem you have a choice, now that you have seen me."

"A choice?"

"Because I'm nice, I'll let you come along with us if you want." Darks then leaned closer to me. "So what's it gonna be?"

"And if I refuse?" I ask, though I'm relatively certain I already know the answer.

"I didn't think you were that dense," he says, looking at me in disdain. "I'll consume you here and now, and you'll never see either of them again."

I flinch back, instinctively afraid of this dragon. That was certainly not an option. I felt a wave of grief wash over me as I came to the conclusion that this was all my fault. If I had noticed earlier how desperate these two children were, this never would have happened.

I look sadly to Lin and Sue, and within their pained green eyes I saw a plea. A plea for help.

And with that, my mind was made up. I couldn't abandon them now. I had no choice but to go along with what he said, and hope somehow I could do something to make this right again.

"All right, Darks. I will stay with you and the twins, as long as you promise that they will not be harmed," I say forcefully. "If for any reason they are, I promise that I will use everything in the power of the Darius Alga Winright family to put an end to you."

Darks laughs. "You've got some spunk; I like that. Fine. They will not be harmed as long as all of you cooperate with RI-ON."

I breathe a sigh of relief, and then look back at Lin and Sue.

I'll save you two somehow. I swear it. Just please, please keep holding on.