Strange Journey

By Phoenix Hoshika

Part II

Ryu lay asleep on the floor of the little hut that he, Lin and Nina had built some time after they had reached the surface. Before they had tried to find beds under willow trees, and found that mosquitoes and other biting bugs made their bed there as well and for a while settled for sleeping under the upon sky. That night was like many nights before. Despite having accomplished his goal of reaching the sky and saving Nina Ryu felt unrest inside himself that kept him awake long after his two companions had fallen asleep.

It was only a few minutes after sleep had finally taken him did Ryu's eyes suddenly open. He lay on his back in a cold sweet feeling his heart racing for what reason he didn't known until he looked toward the doorway of the hut. Ryu quickly sat up when he saw the familiar figure patiently waiting in the threshold. It turned and looked over its shoulder as if to say, "follow me." Ryu looked to his left at Lin who was still sleeping and then turned to Nina on his right who was sound asleep as well. Quietly standing Ryu rushed outside without making a sound. The figure had led him quite a distance from the hut before stopping.

"Origin!" Ryu shouted in a demanding tone.

"You're wondering why did I lead you so far away from your friends?" Elyon asked for him. "Maybe I planned sending one of my egos to destroy them while I took care of you personally."

Ryu's eyes narrowed as he drew his sword.

"Yes, Ryu." Elyon thought. "Fight me!" With that Ryu charged at Elyon and swung his blade only to miss right before feeling a foot connect with his lower back knocking him to the ground. Elyon had used his alter ego to attack the young man from behind. Ryu quickly rose to his feet spiraling his blade. He was preparing to strike the double when he felt a hand firmly grasp his shoulder. "Strange, I can still sense Odjn's power within you, yet you choose to fight me in human form." Ignoring Elyon's words Ryu swung around only to have his sword connect with the wind yet again. "You know you'll never win in your present condition. If you take to long to defeat me I just might decide to kill them." Elyon said reappearing behind Ryu who turned around angrily. His body had started to resonate a fiery glow as he swung his sword aiming to mortally wound the half man half dragon.

"And yet you still hesitate." Elyon said blocking Ryu's attacks then disappeared again.

Ryu looked about in every direction as he tried to determine where Elyon would reappear to no avail. "Aaaaagh!" Ryu screamed as he felt a strong current of electricity going through his head from ear to ear. Elyon had rematerialized behind him and was holding his hands on either side of Ryu's head just shy of touching him.

"If you won't tell me, then I will have to find out by other means." He said as electricity flowed from his finger tips. "Now, you will tell me, show me everything. What are you thinking?" Elyon thought has he used his powers to search Ryu's mind.

"It's this power that keeps me alive, but I must never use it again." Ryu said seemingly to himself.

"Why?" Elyon asked appearing in the darkness which was the present state of Ryu's mind.

Ryu turned around seeming to be startled. "I can't." He repeated.

"Why not?" Elyon asked again taking a step closer. In an instant, images of Ryu's final battle against the dragon possessed Bosch seemed to stream by Elyon's eyes.

"Each time I used that power it seemed as if my life was draining away along with my humanity and it was. I didn't care if I lost myself in the end because by that time Nina would be free and my life would have ended along with my humanity."

Elyon shock his head. "It doesn't have to be that way." He thought.

"But in the end Odjn gave me his power so that I could continue living. I think he knew that even though I was willing to die to save her I still wanted to be there to protect and watch over her. Now that I have this second chance I can't use that power ever again because even if it doesn't take my life it will claim my mind and I'm afraid of what I might do if I lost control of myself again." Ryu said as images of his first transformation into his dragon form played in mind. "If that happens again I may truly become a monster."

Elyon shook his head again. "You lack control, this is true, but the only way to overcome this obstacle is for you to not be ashamed of what you are and embrace it." Elyon closed his eyes as Ryu continued to debate with himself. "You have no idea how heavily this world depends on your strength. If killing your friends, particularly the one you worked to hard to save, is the only way to get you to realize this then so be it. I will have to make good on my threat." Elyon thought as he disconnected from Ryu's mind.

"Aaaaaagh!" Ryu screamed again as Elyon released him. Ryu fell to the ground holding his head as his body slowly begin to transform. "I can't. I must defeat him on my own." Ryu thought has a fought to keep his body from transforming.

Elyon stood patiently watching then closed his eyes. "Perhaps, I have caused enough pain." He thought as he saw Nina's face. "Even if I were to kill them in your present state of mind, perhaps such action would only serve to drive you into madness. That is not my goal. Even as Origin I am not strong enough to protect this world. Fate has chosen you to carry this responsibility. If you are going to succeed in protecting this world you must first accept the full nature of what you are, Ryu. It seems all I have to do is push a little more." Elyon thought as he opened his eyes and struck Ryu's body with a powerful electric bolt. The blast sent Ryu flying into a tree before it hit the ground.

Ryu lay on the ground panting heavily no longer able to keep the transformation at bay. As he stood his body was covered in a blinding light and the transformation took hold. In place of the dark haired young man stood a half man half dragon hybrid with silver hair and red eyes, his body illuminated by fire.

"Finally." Elyon said.

Ryu looked at the other dragon furiously. "I'll kill you!" He said just before moving across the field in a blink of an eye. Within a few seconds he was directly in front of Elyon who teleported out of the way just in time to miss a fury swipe from Ryu's claws.

"Even without the change in appearance, your personality takes on a transformation as well, doesn't it Ryu?" Elyon said opening his eyes and looking directly at his opponent.

Ryu stopped just as he was preparing to charge at Elyon again who had vanished only to reappear right behind him. "No, not it's not a change that occurs, it's more like it becomes unchecked." Ryu turned jumping away from him defensively. "Every impulse, every thought that crosses your mind you're one hundred times more likely to act upon them." Ryu growled as he prepared to use dragon's breath, his most powerful fire attack on Elyon who teleported flawlessly avoiding the attack. Ryu hit the ground as Elyon's fist connected with is chest.

"Ryu!" Lin's voice uttered loudly as she and Nina came upon the field the he and Elyon were fighting in shocked to so him in dragon form. Nina gasped as she came to a halt just behind her. Nina had woke up to find Ryu missing and had waken Lin up almost immediately, who insisted that the only male member of their little group had only gone to the bathroom. After waiting ten minutes while looking at the worried expression on Nina's face Lin finally agreed to go look for him.

Elyon looked up at the hill top at them then back down at Ryu who he was floating over, just out of reach. "It would do you no good to have friends accept you as you are, so I will send you to a place where you have no friends. I believe that's what it will take for you to truly accept your current state of being." Elyon said as he waved his arm. A black hole suddenly appeared and started to suck Ryu in who fought whole heartedly against it.

If she could Nina would have screamed "No!" as she and Lin rushed to her hero's aid.

"You're going to pay!" Lin shouted as she fired her gun only for the bullets to bounce harmlessly off of a force field the not only blocked Elyon from harm, but kept anything from entering the area he, Ryu and the black hole occupied. Elyon watched for only a minute as the two struggled against the force field then floated over to Ryu who was on the brink of being sucked into the hole.

"When you fully accept your entire state of being then the door will open for your return. Until then…" Elyon said striking Ryu in his chest with the palm of his hand. Ryu's eyes widened as he felt a strong jolt go through his body. Lin and Nina watched helplessly as their friend was consumed by the hole. "Only time will tell if he shall return." Elyon thought as he looked up at the two one last time before leaving.

to be continued