The Galactic Knights: Third Dimensional War

The Phantom Rises Arc

A/N: The day has come. Ichigo and Inuyasha met with the rulers of the Xaria Federation. However, tension only rises as they soon realize this federation is far from perfect. Can Ichigo and Inuyasha help and convince the rulers to act before it is too late? Will the Xaria Federation turn away the two Galactic Knights? Find out in chapter 52: 'Meeting of the Federation.'

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Fairy Tail, or One Piece.

*LB* = Line Break

Chapter 52: Meeting of the Federation

"Come on!" Horace stood on top of a building, watching a tired Momoka on the ground below. "You have the strength! Get back up!"

Horace watched as Momoka stood back up, her body heaving as she tried to regain her composure. Horace smirked as he saw Momoka charge at him. She was indeed special. He wondered what brought him to train Momoka. Perhaps, she was similar to him more than he thought. Momoka appeared in front of him, thrusting her katana. Horace sidestepped the attack, before kneeing Momoka in the stomach.

"Don't leave yourself open." Horace slammed Momoka to the ground. However, she jumped back up, avoiding Horace's next attack. Soon enough, the two fighters charged again, as Horace overpowered Momoka and knocked her unconscious.

Horace stood above Momoka, his bloodlust starting to gain control of him. However, he stared onto the face of Momoka, which seemed to calm him down. He took a deep breath and kneeled next to her. He wiped off some of the blood on her forehead before picking her.

"Time to rest." Horace held Momoka close to his body, shielding her from the wind. Soon enough, he felt a poke on his cheek before the world went dark.

Horace opens his eyes, sitting up as he noticing Momoka poking him with a stick. Momoka smiles at him.

"Time to get up."

"Fine."

An half an hour later, Horace and Momoka stand in the center of a room with Ichigo, Anna, and Tecumseh.

"So, what's going on?" Horace whispers to Momoka.

"D-Did you forget." Momoka twirls her fingers nervously. "Today is the m-meeting. Are you okay? You s-seem a bit unfocused."

"I'm fine." Horace yawns as the large set of doors open.

Helios, Zane, Electra, Iris, and Fiona enter the room. They sit close together as Inuyasha and his guards enter the room.

"We aren't the last ones again." Inuyasha smirks as Edgardo sighs.

Soon enough, Alexander enters the room with Nestor, Takis, Zinon, and Chara following him.

"Welcome Lord Alexander." Helios nods at Alexander, who nods back. "Today we begin our meeting with the other rulers. They should be here in a few seconds."

Sure enough, everyone begins to hear footsteps at the entrance to the room. The first ruler into the room is Eos, Queen of the Griffins. She has brown fur, eyes, and two large wings on her back. She is quite large and is at nine feet tall. The second ruler into the room is Shiva, Queen of the Foxes. She has red fur, brown eyes, and nine large tails. She has a slender body, but is quite tall at six feet. The third ruler into the room is Cinder, King of the Phoenixes. He has blue feathers, white eyes, and two large wings at eight feet long each. For a phoenix, his body is as tall as seven feet. The fourth ruler into the room is Labder, King of the Sea Serpents. He has dark blue scales and his body is over fifteen feet long.

Just as everyone is about to start the meeting, another ruler enters the room. Rilnur, King of the Minotaurs. He has brown fur, black eyes, and is quite large and muscular. He stands at thirteen feet tall and wears an iron loincloth.

"Welcome Rilnur." Zane smirks, as everyone remains silent.

Soon enough, Eos speaks up. "You dare enter this room! Why are the Minotaurs here? I want his head!"

Rilnur narrows his eyes as he prepares to strike Eos, but Inuyasha intervenes, catching Rilnur's arm.

"Just shut up, both of you!" Inuyasha glares at the two rulers.

"Did he just…I know he…" Eos stands speechless that a lowly creature would tell her to shut up.

Rilnur stares into Inuyasha's eyes, ready to say something. However, he notices something about the man and decides to stay quiet. He lowers his arm and sits down. Soon enough, everyone decides to sit and cool down. Ichigo sighs as he massages his forehead, trying to calm himself down. He notices Helios clear his throat.

Everyone turns his or her attention to Helios, who nods back. Helios stands up, his wings spreading out a bit.

"We will commence this meeting."

Helios explains to everyone the recent activities of the Shadow Alliance. He also explains the return of the Ancient Lords, which surprises the kingdom rulers. Everyone begins to mutter amongst each other, as they try to figure out the next move to do.

Ichigo remains in his sit, watching the expression on each of the ruler's faces. It is at this moment he realizes fear is now eminent on their faces. Ichigo rubs his hands together, still sweaty from the earlier tension. Ichigo turns his attention to Zane and Rilnur, who remain calm. He narrows his eyes, studying their faces a bit longer. So far, neither of them seems worry about the situation. Soon enough, Zane speaks up, breaking the muttering between the others.

"See, we have spent so much time with our internal issues that we have allowed external enemies to enter our territory. We must attack the Shadow Alliance as soon as possible. Furthermore, we cannot trust the Imperials. It is best to handle this situation ourselves."

"We seek to stop the resurrection of Phantom." Alexander places his elbows on the table.

Zane laughs at Alexander. "You're kidding, right? After all this time, the Imperial Alliance has never shown any interest. Now, when Phantom is involved, you plan to 'aid' us. You will betray us just like before."

Ichigo can see Alexander clench his teeth. Any more pressure and his teeth could break. He soon notices Helios lean forward, ready to intervene if Alexander or Zane decide to be foolish. Ichigo reaches for his zanpakuto, ready to draw if need be.

Alexander clenches his hand, his blood boiling as Zane continues to berate him. However, he knows he must remain focused. "You must understand, we cannot allow Phantom to return, for he is a threat to us as well."

Ichigo turns his attention to Zane as the dark horse neighs loudly. Zane turns to Rilnur who nods at the horse. Seconds later, Zane turns his attention back to Alexander.

"The Minotaurs have been treated poorly. They have faced discrimination just because of their species, their looks. Did the Imperials treat us federation any different? Holies and Demons are in command of the entire universe. Us horses are nothing to you. You see us as fodder. Just tell the truth! I am surprise you do not discriminate against Helios' lizards."

"Zane enough!" Helios glares at Zane, who returns the stare.

"Lizards? Is there another kingdom not in this meeting?" Alexander turns his attention to Helios.

Ichigo narrows his eyes, noticing the small jump on Helios' part. Helios is hiding something and Ichigo wonders why he is going through all the trouble.

Zane glares at Helios and Alexander. He soon stares at the white armor of Alexander, as a certain memory enters his mind.

Zane ran into the communication room, a group of Unicorn trying to connect to the outside world.

"What's going on?" Zane rushed to the Unicorns as a voice sounded from the small microphone.

"Lord Leonidas, we ask for your aid." Zane heard an explosion occur nearby, causing the ground to shake and the walls to crack. Zane held his ground as a voice finally answered him.

"Sorry Zane, but we cannot provide reinforcements." Zane clenched his teeth as Leonidas continued. "We have our own problems. Your species is not worth risking troops for. You are on your own."

An entire month Zane spent trying to communicate with Leonidas. However, instead of reinforcements, he gets a 'no.' Zane shouted in anger, his back hoofs hitting a table and knocking it over. The flames around his body burst in fiery, destroying nearby furniture. He paced back and forth, trying to figure out his next move, but another explosion gained his attention.

Ichigo realizes Zane is in a world of his own. Soon enough, Zane snaps out of his trance before looking at Helios and then Alexander.

"I can never trust the Imperial Alliance any more. Especially the Megalos."

Alexander sighs in frustration. "I am not my ancestor. I promise to provide assistance as needed."

"I don't believe you. Those were the same words from Leonidas."

"Are you kidding me?" Inuyasha grumbles as Zane turns to him. "It has been three thousand years. Let it go."

Almost immediately, the reaction is instant. Zane jumps out of his pillow, flames abroad as he charges at Inuyasha. However, Helios steps between Inuyasha and Zane, forcing Zane back.

"Enough!" Helios begins to glow brightly, his own power impressive to Ichigo. "We must concentrate!"

Zane neighs as he turns around and heads back to his pillow. He glares at Inuyasha, but he remains quiet.

"We are here to discuss how to fight the Shadow Alliance, nothing more." Helios' voice rings throughout the room, ensuring everyone understands.

Once everyone remains quiet, Helios begins to explain the three Sacred Objects needed to unlock Phantom's tomb. The first is the Sword of Light, then the Shield of Darkness, and then the Helm of Void. Without all three pieces, there is no way to break the seal. However, Helios also explains that a fourth piece is required. In order to wield the three Sacred Objects, the person requires a pure heart of light.

As much as Ichigo would want to feel safe about those facts, something deep down tells him Hanzo has a backup plan. Why would Hanzo go through such effort if he could not release Phantom?

Helios goes to explain that each of the horse races have one of the Sacred Objects. Electra's Unicorns protect the Sword of Light, Iris' Pegasi protect the Helm of Void, and Fiona's Kelpies protect the Shield of Darkness. Barriers protect each of the Sacred Objects, but these barriers can still be broken.

Ichigo knows the enemy will find a way. He continues to listen as Helios begins to separate the griffins, Minotaurs, and the Imperial forces to aid each of the guardians. The foxes, phoenixes, and sea serpents will aid their respective guardians. However, more trouble arises as Rilnur speaks up.

"Why should I aid the Xaria Federation? My species is always looked down upon."

Helios sighs, a small headache forming. "Listen Lord Rilnur. This is not the time for this."

"No!" Rilnur stands up from his chair, glaring at the other rulers. "I demand respect or I will not assist."

Ichigo notices Iris rolling her eyes. He knows she is about to say something and simply remains quiet. He is not much for politics and he can only watch as the events unfold in front of him.

"Respect? Last, I checked, all the Minotaurs have done in the past thousand years is cause issues for everyone."

"I agree." Everyone turns to Fiona. "Many Kelpies and sea serpents have fallen due to the Minotaur's actions."

"I also agree." Electra lowers her head a bit, thinking about her words. "I'm sorry to say, but the large loses of Unicorns and foxes cannot be forgiven so easily."

Immediately, Zane stands up again, glaring at his fellow Zodiacs. The flames on his body increase in range and temperature. His hoofs dig into the concrete with enough force to create small cracks.

"Really? These are your excuses?" Flames spur out of Zane's mouth. Ichigo can see the anger flowing out of Zane's entire body. "If you haven't noticed, there is a reason for their behaviors."

"They haven't earned their respect." Cinder the phoenix interrupts Zane, who turns his attention to the phoenix.

Rilnur slams his fist on the table. "Haven't earned! My ancestors sacrificed themselves to fight the Four Horses!"

"Yes, your ancestor."

Rilnur glares at Cinder before turning his attention to everyone else in the room. He stands again and then turns around. He walks towards the door, before turning his head slightly back. "Handle this yourself."

Zane also stands up, walking towards the door. "You fail to realize that both sides are at fault. Rilnur did only what he believed was right for his people. I will protect everyone, be it Minotaur or any other species."

Once Zane leaves the room, Helios sits upon his pillow, lowering his head. He takes a deep breath, lifting his head shortly as he glances around the table.

Ichigo remains seated, feelings useless. He wonders if there is anything, he could have done. He glances at Inuyasha who shrugs.

Momoka sighs as she watches the scene in front of her. She does not see a group of rulers preparing to confront a common enemy. No, she sees a group of whiners complaining about internal affairs. She closes her eyes, recalling a time she started understanding Horace.

Momoka traveled through the forest. The forest smelled awkward and the ground mushy. It had been a few hours since Horace left the cave, saying something about letting off some steam. Soon enough, she came across an abandoned camp, not a single person in sight. Her heart started to beat rapidly as she began to wonder what occurred here. She had a feeling, but did not want to think of such a possibility. She continued forward, searching for any sign of people. Eventually, she came across an area filled with dead bodies. The smell reached her nose, causing her to reel back in disgust.

She heard a crack of a tree branch, causing Momoka to turn toward the source. A person with a sword rushed out of the forest, aiming at Momoka. She dodged the attack, drawing out her katana and slashing the person across the back. Suddenly, another person rushed out the forest, attacking Momoka. She deflected the attack, forcing the man back as she slashed him across the stomach. A few seconds later, a group of wounded men walked out the forest, glaring at Momoka while licking their lips.

"Are you with him?"

Momoka does not understand what the man was talking about, so she raised her katana, preparing for any kind of assault. Suddenly, a large blade slashed one of the men in half, blood splattering everyone. The other men jump from the action, as Horace rushed out the forest, killing each man with ease.

Once everyone is dead, Momoka ran to Horace, confused and angered by his actions.

"W-Why kill them?"

Horace did not answer Momoka. She only clenched her fist as she turned to leave, only to come face to face with a group of women. She would have thought the women would be scared. She did see something in their faces. She saw traces of trauma, but she also saw relief.

"Thank you for freeing us." One of the women bowed to Horace, who did not say anything.

"There's food over there. Take it and leave."

Momoka turned back to Horace surprised by his actions. In the month she had been with him, he had never shown any sign of kindness.

"This i-isn't you."

Momoka smiled as she watched a confused expression on Horace's face. He turned and began to return to the cave.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

Momoka laughed lightly. For so many years, people saw Horace as a monster. He was taller than anyone before. He was stronger than anyone she knew. People judged him before they had a chance to know him. She soon took off after him.

Momoka turns her attention to Horace, who remains standing on the left side of Ichigo. She places her hand over her heart, a slight blush on her cheeks as she turns away from him.

Ichigo sighs as Helios breaks the long silence between the rulers. "Zane, the common horses, and the Minotaurs will not be needed. We will have to deal with this problem on our own."

The Imperial and Xaria begin their real meeting, as they organize their defenses.

Meanwhile, two people stand at the large window of their spaceship. Ryuu and Hikari watch as their large fleet continues to move forward. There is nothing around them as their forces set up a defensive perimeter.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Hikari glances at Ryuu, who continues to stare at the stars.

Ryuu clenches his hands as images of an older woman flashes through his mind, making his heartbeat faster, both in happiness and anger. He begins to concentrate on his own reflection in the window as he raises his hand and places it on the window.

"We are…for your people…for our mother, her last wish."

"I will follow you until the end, brother."

The doors behind them open as Jia, Xiang, and Guo enter the room.

"We are wasting time." Jia grumbles as he crosses his arms.

"We don't have to report to Lord Hanzo on this matter do we?" Xiang smirks as she glances at Ryuu and Hikari.

Ryuu and Hikari turn around, facing the three people in front of them. Ryuu steps forward, walking towards the group. "There is no need. Before we head to Ufladus, we must obtain the Sacred Objects."

"Objects?" Guo rubs his chin.

"Yes, father said these objects are needed to break the seal."

Jia, Xiang, and Guo stare at each other before nodding and turning back to Ryuu. He orders the three to separate and find the objects at the same time. He gives them each a specific location as they turn and leave.

Ryuu turns back to Hikari before looking at the stars. "If there is a heaven, please forgive me."

On an unknown planet, lightning continues to rain upon the unfortunate earth. Rain continues to pour upon the soil as a group of creatures walk across the forsaken ground. The Uruz warriors begin to gather as the storm continues to rage around them.

*LB*

A/N: I know this chapter might be a bit slow for many readers. This is something I've heard from many readers. I do my best to make sure each chapter brings something to the table, even if there is no fighting. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.