He was cold and dark. He was full of arrogance and malice. His entire being was surrounded by a domineering, chaotic aura. As I stood before him, I could see my very own death dancing in his eyes, but merely being in his presence was far worse than death itself.
The frail, beaten gentleman lifted himself over the edge of the cliff, struggling to get to his feet. Once he was standing, he peered over the edge, into the chasm, staring silently at the remains of a crashed helicopter. Even from his height, he could see pieces of glass scattered about puddles of a familiar orange liquid.
Adjusting his nearly shattered glasses into place, the man turned around, facing a cave as black as a raven's plumage in the night sky. He paused for a moment, considering what danger might lie ahead of him.
"Must I really go through all this trouble to find one strong blader?" he asked himself in a sigh, "One who is superior above all, including that meddlesome Ryo Hagane? At this point, I should simply take on the Forbidden Bey myself…"
Grimacing at his tattered suit, he took a step forward into the cave. He was stopped, however, by the sound of an eerie growling noise.
"Who is bothering me now? I am quite fed up all of the silly human folk wandering into my lair! Quite fed up indeed…" the beast growled.
"Who-who are you?" the man asked, cowering at the ferocity of the beast's voice.
"Who am I?" the monster repeated in what sounded like a sarcastic laugh, "I am the Dragon Emperor, my ignorant little friend! The King of all Creatures, the one and only! And who might you be, then?"
"I-I… my name is Doji, lord Ryuu. I apologize for my rudeness; I was merely looking for a strong blader to accompany me on my mission!"
The dragon stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself. His scales were like melted gold, his claws were as lances, and his eyes were as deep and menacing as the fires of Hades. His long, polished tail was adorned with jeweled spikes, and his fangs were sharper than the sharpest sword ever created.
"What sort of mission?" he questioned.
"If-if you must ask, I am seeking a blader that can successfully hone the Forbidden Bey, Lightning L-Drago. With that bey, I-I could gain power, power as great as yours, lord!"
"Power as great as mine, huh?" he mused, "What if I were to control this Lightning L-Drago?"
"But you are a dragon, aren't you?" Doji asked, confused.
"We higher class dragons have powers of shape-shifting. However, if I were to shift into my human state, the effect would be irreversible. Prove to me that this Forbidden Bey you speak of is worthy of such a great sacrifice!"
"Lightning L-Drago is the most powerful bey in the world, lord, complete with left-rotation, dynamics, and-"
"QUIET!" the dragon roared, pounding his foot into the cavern floor, nearly splitting the cliff in two. Doji bowed low, pleading for mercy. "I did not ask to hear about the bey's features! I want to know if our powers could combine to make something new, something unheard of, something unseen! You sound like a ridiculous salesman trying to sell me useless merchandise! Try that one more time and you'll see what happens!"
"Y-y-yes lord, they could! Please forgive me! With you as its master, the power of L-Drago would double or even triple, I am sure! Though its power, you could steal the powers of other bladers, creating an infinite energy source. With that, lord, you could easily become the strongest blader in all of history, and your name would most certainly live forever!"
"That does sound more exciting than living in this sad excuse for a throne for a thousand more years…" he sighed in consideration, "I'll accept, but only in one condition."
"Yes, lord?"
"You, Doji, must pledge your allegiance to me and me alone! From now on, you will be the servant and I will be the master! With the Forbidden Bey, L-Drago, I will be the strongest blader known to mankind!" the Emperor shouted, his voice rumbling the cavern.
"Yes, I swear. I will forever be your servant, lord Ryuu. That is a solemn promise," Doji pledged, trembling.
"Now, my reign of terror begins!" he announced, spreading his once hidden wings out. His entire body glowed shades of purple. His figure began to shrink, until the mauve aura died down, replacing the golden Dragon Emperor with a young man.
His skin was a soft, natural tan, and his eyes glowed in various colors, like fire dancing among ice. He had thick white hair with a red streak on one side. He wore sheen black pants and a gold-lined black vest. As he extended his hands, the air around him shimmered, and a golden crown with a dragon's head on the front appeared. He rested it on his forehead and smirked, clearly satisfied.
"This way, every creature will know my true identity!" the former dragon hissed.
"That crown can tell all that?" Doji asked.
He nodded in response. "I'm enjoying this new body already! Now, if only I could fly…"
"I am pleased that you like it, lord. Now, shouldn't we be goi-"
"Don't be hasty, and enough with 'lord! I'm tired of hearing it, Doji!" he snarled, pausing in careful thought, "Call me… Ryuga…"