The Galactic Knights: Third Dimensional War
Dragons Unleashed Arc
A/N: Filled with defeat, Natsu must find his strength again to continue fighting. However, time is short. The Shadow Alliance continues to move. Can Natsu find his strength in time to join Goku and Mei as they go into battle? Find out in chapter 73.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Fairy Tail, or One Piece.
*LB* = Line Break
Chapter 73: Darkness Within
The sound of fire reaches Natsu's ears. He gazes at a small torch just outside his tent. It has been two days since his defeat. It has been two days since he failed to obtain the Golden Claw and stop Lyth from leaving.
He gazes at his hands, slightly shaking. He clenches his hands, the tips of his fingers turning a bright red. He releases his grip, sitting up and taking a deep breath. He needs more power. He needs to find a way to defeat Lyth. He needs to stop Yuuka and the Shadow Alliance.
"Why am I so weak?"
"Weak? Is that what you have been doing?" Wu walks into the tent. Natsu sees a few bandages on Wu's face and right arm.
Wu walks up to Natsu, stopping in front of the dragon slayer. Natsu does not say anything, looking down while clenching his hands again.
"Natsu. We have been through a lot since this war started." Wu turns and sits down. "We both have seen our share of death and destruction long before this war. I've been having nightmares of the horrible things we've done. We have taken numerous lives. Thousands of them. This isn't easy for any of us."
Natsu remains quiet. He clenches his hands, his ears perking up. The sounds of horrible screams ringing loudly. He feels a hand grasp his shoulder.
"I wish I could help better. I honestly do." Wu stands up, beginning to walk towards the entrance before stopping and turning his head slightly back. "We must do what we can. We must stay strong. Otherwise, if we lose ourselves. Not only would we put ourselves in danger. We will put our friends in danger. We must approach in a calm manner. Demanding more power will make us no different than our enemies."
Wu gazes at Natsu, watching as the gears begin to click in his brain. He closes his eyes, remembering the time he saw Conan, Sean, Eliot, Beatha, and Shannon fight against Lucan. The battle was fierce. Both sides fought with everything they had, wounds piling up with each passing second. However, time seemed to stop. Both Beatha and Shannon fell to Lucan's onslaught. He only knew the women for a short time, but he saw how their deaths effected the other men, especially Conan and Sean. He saw Sean's rampage and Eliot's anger.
However, it was Conan who he saw the most effect. The man just lost his lover and sister mere seconds from each other. He saw the sadness, then anger. He saw the man shake with so many emotions. However, he also saw the love he held dear for these two women. Wu could never understand these feelings. He was given a duty by his ancestors. The villagers who foresaw the great destruction the dragon powers had.
Wu stood up, walking towards the fallen women. He gazed at their body, bruised and bloody. He closed his eyes, viewing the spirits of the two women.
"Beatha, Shannon…"
"Who's there?" Wu could hear the cracking in Beatha's voice.
"It's me, Wu."
"We failed." Wu gazed at Shannon's voice.
"You haven't failed." Wu stepped toward them. "The others continue to fight."
Despite his words, Wu felt the heaviness around him. His heart ache, as if someone was crushing it with the full strength of their hands.
"Please help them." Beatha's voice began to fade away.
"They have suffered so much." Shannon added.
"I don't know them. What help could I be?"
"Live beyond your duty." Wu stepped back as Beatha appeared in front of him, her body fading.
Shannon appeared next to her, both women beginning to smile.
"We lived the way we could." Shannon placed her hand on Wu's cheek, followed by Beatha.
Wu felt warmth from their hands, something he did not expect. Their memories flowed into him, as he took in their adventures with Conan, Sean, and Eliot. He saw Sean's betrayal and Lucan's rampage.
Soon, Beatha and Shannon released him, stepping back.
"They can be so much more." Beatha faded into nothingness.
"And so can you." Shannon joined her shortly.
Wu opened his eyes, clenching his hands. He spent his entire life protecting an object. He believed that to be his purpose. No, he can do more. He could protect something more. He turned towards the fight, the mystical world fading away. He would help these men. Give them a chance to move forward. Then, he would help anyone else who needed him. Today, he would use his skills to fight for something other than a mere object.
Seconds later, Wu unleashed a large amount of power. He charged forward, joining the fight against Lucan.
"Wu?" Wu turns to Natsu. "You alright?"
Wu nods his head, relieving Natsu's worry.
"Nastu, you have something worth fighting for. You have friends, family, don't you? Remember them. Perhaps, you'll gain the power you need."
Wu walks outside, enjoying the fresh breeze touch his face. He does wish he can enjoy the breeze, but the scent of blood travels through the air. He gazes at the numerous wounded soldiers, who try to push through their pain.
He notices Conan on a nearby hill, lying down, looking towards the sky. He walks toward his old time friend.
Conan takes a deep breath, wincing slightly at the pain on his shoulder. He turns his head, noticing a few footsteps.
"How's Natsu?"
"He's going. He'll be fine." Conan hears Wu, sit down.
Conan continues to state at the sky, noticing a few clouds passing by in the shape of a dragon.
All those years ago, the fight against Lucan was fierce. He, Sean, Eliot, and Wu fought with all their strength, yet Lucan stood strong.
Lucan grabbed Conan's head and then slammed him to the ground. Conan gasped, trying to catch his breath. He gazed at the others, who tried to aid him, but failed.
"You fools are persistent." Lucan applied pressure, causing Conan to groan. "Surrender now!"
Conan continued to struggle, pushing his hands into the ground, his knees supporting his body. However, Lucan forced him down each time.
He gazed at the bodies of Beatha and Shannon. The world around him began to darken. He clenched his teeth, as tears ran down his cheeks.
"Forgive me." Conan's voice was low. Nobody heard him.
Suddenly two hands touched his cheeks. His vision returned instantly, the feeling of warmth still at his cheeks.
"I won't fail… I can't!" Conan pushed up, catching Lucan by surprise.
Conan turned, punching Lucan in the stomach. The force of the punch created a shockwave, fire spreading as well. Conan took this chance to grab the statue before pulling away from everyone.
He gazed at the dragon, it's ruby eyes beginning to glow. Instantly, a surge of power rushed through his body. He fell to the ground, his breathing becoming heavy as his muscles began to pulse violently. His veins become as clear as the eye can see, turning a dark purple while pulsing.
Conan shouted, his voice loud enough to reach the heavens. A powerful shockwave exploded, causing the ground to crack. He lunged forward, two massive wings ripping through his armor. His skin turned into scales and his mouth into a snout. His scales began to change to red as flames erupted around him.
Soon, the flames stop. The yelling is gone and smoke enveloped the area.
"Conan?" Sean stood up.
"I am death." A low, but dark voice echoed through the smoke. "Lucan…"
Suddenly, a giant dragon rushed through the smoke, slamming into Lucan.
Lucan gasped in shock and pain. Conan snarled, his hand gripping Lucan's shoulder, causing blood to drip from the wound.
"How?" Conan snarled at Lucan's voice. "I struggled to achieve that power and you just took it!"
Conan jumped back as Lucan unleashed a powerful shockwave. Lucan stood up and charged at Conan, who did the same thing. Soon enough, the two fighters clashed, unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Conan slashed at Lucan breaking through his armor. Lucan returned the favor, striking Conan at his stomach. Conan growled before unleashing a stream of flames from his mouth. Lucan jumped back, gathering energy before unleashing it at Conan. Conan lowered his wings, blocking the attack.
"What?" Lucan stepped back as Conan appeared in front of him.
In mere seconds, Conan stood over Lucan, who lied on the ground, with numerous wounds.
"I will not die here!" Lucan tried getting up, only for Conan to impale Lucan through the chest.
Conan roared, watching the fear in Lucan build up before tearing the man's heart out of his body. Blood splattered over Conan as flames erupted from his body.
"Conan stop!" Eliot tried approaching the man, but the fire sent him back.
Conan turned to Sean, Eliot, and Wu. He growled, taking a step toward them. He began to charge, attacking the three men with fierce strikes. They tried to restrain Conan, but nothing stopped the half-dragon.
A bright light erupted in front of Conan, stopping his advance toward Sean, Eliot, and Wu. An elderly woman stood in front of Conan, as he began to growl.
"I suggest calming down young man."
Conan growled, lowering his snout towards the elderly woman.
"The name is Chloe. Nice to meet you."
Conan ignored Chloe's introduction. He roared, flames erupting from his mouth.
"Woman run or you'll die!" Conan could hear Wu's voice, though he could not recognize him.
Swinging his arm, Conan attacked Chloe. To everyone's surprise, Chloe grabbed Conan by his wrist preventing him from moving. Conan roared trying to break free of Chloe's grip, but lacked the strength to do so. He opened his mouth, a red glow emitting from the back of his throat. The temperature began to increase as smoke erupted from Conan. Soon a wave of flames shot toward Chloe, who simply remained stationary. The attack hit her directly, causing a wall of flames to envelop her.
"Not bad." Chloe voice rang through the flames.
Conan tried to pull back, but a tug to his arm caused him to fling forward. In a single punch to the stomach, Conan's body weakened. His knees buckled before landing on them, the flames around him dispersing into thin air. Before he could fall further, Chloe caught him by his chest.
As Conan's vision began to fade, his senses returned to normal, no longer a raging dragon.
"For those who are alive. I offer you a chance to make amends and create a future where your fallen friends can be proud of you. I apologize for not arriving sooner, but from here on out I'll help you to a grand future."
Conan could hear Sean, Eliot, and Wu agree to her offer. Deep down, he did as well.
"Thinking?" Conan snaps back from his memory, turning his attention to Wu.
"Thinking of Chloe." Conan runs his hand through his hair. "I sense great power from the Galactic Knights. Chloe knew of this the moment she met them. It took us two years to understand what she saw. They can handle the stress, but they need our help. A person, no matter how strong can only handle so much. They are the pillars of this universe. We are the builders who repair when necessary."
Conan and Wu stare at the sky, a red background enveloping it.
Natsu walks outside his tent. He ends up near the edge of a nearby forest. Why he is here? He does not know. Something in his mind told him to come here.
"You look troubled." Natsu turns to the familiar voice. Standing in front of him is Rhaviel, king of the dragons.
"How are you here?" Natsu raises an eyebrow, turning his head slightly to the left.
"You and I are connected. You are strong when it comes to having a dragon connection."
The two remain silent for a while, watching the sun begin to set.
"What's wrong with me?" Natsu clenches his hands, his fists weak.
"I sense great power from you. But I also sense a dark presence within that power." Natsu gazes at Rhaviel.
"Is it the same darkness as Asea?"
"No, I doubt it. But I wouldn't really know the source. This power I sense is ancient, something born before my lifetime."
Natsu releases a deep breath, but his ears perk up, the hairs on his arms standing in attention.
"Natsu, I can grant you a short amount of time within your own mind. Perhaps, the answers lie inside you."
The young dragonslayer takes a moment to think of this offer. A part of him tells him to turn and run, but the other part tells him to leap forward. Considering his personality, Natsu is going to leap. He will not back down from any threat, including himself.
After agreeing to the offer, Natsu walks towards the opening in the forest. He sits down with his legs crossed, taking a deep breath.
"Close your eyes Natsu. Listen to my voice. You will enter a deep sleep, but your mind and soul will continue to be active. Allow yourself to open to the spirit world."
Natsu opens his eyes. He is still in the forest, but it quite different. There idea light fog around him, not a single noise from any animal. Natsu takes a deep breath. There is a fresh smell of dirt and water, yet it seems almost artificial.
His ears perk up. Natsu turns towards the right narrowing his eyes , but he sees nothing there. Yet, he feels a dark aura from that direction. Standing up, Natsu begins to walk towards the aura, every step becoming harder than the last.
The shaking of a nearby bush stops Natsu in his tracks. Though, it is not the moving bush that causes Natsu's eyes to widen. No, it is the fact the person stepping outside the fog that surprises him. For standing in front of him is him. However, this Natsu is different. It is not just the darker aura emitting from this Natsu, it is also the physical attributes that he displays.
The dark Natsu stands in most of Natsu's typical clothing. The most notable difference are the two large horns on top of his head and numerous black markings throughout his body.
"You finally have the guts to face me." The sinister grin dark Natsu gives sends a shiver down Natsu's back. "Here to give yourself to me. To accept the darkness in your heart."
Clenching his teeth, Natsu refuses to become a dark of the darkness in his heart. Of course, this does not sit well with dark Natsu. Catching Natsu off guard, his dark self rushes toward him, grabbing Natsu by his neck and face. Natsu falls on his back trying to push his dark self off.
"You are weak." Natsu hears dark Natsu whisper into his ear.
Before Natsu can do anything else, sudden images begin to flash through his mind. Eventually it stops, leaving Natsu in the middle of a dark field. A shiver runs down his spine, his body beginning to cool, which is surprising considering his natural body heat.
Walking forward, Natsu soon notices a large pile in the dark, as a vile order makes its way to Natsu's nose. Beginning to gag, Natsu tries to prevent the urge to release his innards. Unfortunately, Natsu stops dead in his tracks as the image of the pile becomes clear.
Numerous dead bodies lay across the field with no end in sight. Natsu can only guess thousands of bodies cover the field. However, there are four bodies that catch Natsu's attention the most. With eyes empty of life and skin as blue as it can possibly be, Conan, Sean, Eliot, and Wu lay dead in front of the pile. Their arms and legs are twisted abnormally, with blood dripping from their eyes, mouths, and noses.
"No." Natsu clenches his eyes. He grabs his head trying to get the image out of his head.
Opening his eyes Natsu starts shouting from the deepest part of his lungs. He has had enough. With enough force, Natsu erupts with power, dissolving the dark field and allowing Natsu to break through dark Natsu's grip.
"See, the power that resides in you." Natsu begins to stand, as dark Natsu continues his taunt. "You could be so much powerful than you are. Just accept me."
"Never…" Natsu rushes forward striking dark Natsu. However, his darker counterpart catches his fist and returns a punch. Luckily, Natsu blocks the attack as the two begin an exchange of attacks.
Fire erupts in the dark area even though there is nothing to burn. As the fight continues, Natsu's vision begins to falter. He starts to breathe harder, his lungs feeling tight, his head fuzzy. In front of him, dark Natsu seems to be faster and stronger.
"See, your lack of power?" Natsu feels a punch to his gut. He kneels forward, gasping for air. He looks up and notices dark Natsu towering above him. "You are mine."
Before dark Natsu can grab Natsu, a light brightens the area, forcing the dark counterpart to retreat to the darkness.
"What?" Natsu tries to open his eyes, but the powerful light is blinding.
"Don't give in." A smoothing voice whispers in Natsu's ear.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Natsu turns towards the light. He cannot tell who the person is or what the person looks like, but he feels a sense of calmness. The hand is small and warm. He notices waving hair behind the person.
"Natsu, everything will be okay. The images, your fears are creating. Just trust in yourself and you'll be fine."
Natsu tries to reply, but the small hand places a finger on his lips.
"Who are you?" Natsu feels the finger move.
"In time we will meet. For now, keep moving forward."
In an instant, a light envelops Natsu, as he feels a warmth surround him. A sense of calm overcomes Natsu before it turns dark.
Natsu opens his eyes, sitting up as he clenches his head.
"You okay?" Natsu shakes his head as Rhaviel lowers his head towards him.
"Yeah." Natsu sighs. Sure he says he is ok, but the shaking of his hands and the heavy breathing says otherwise. He is sure Rhaviel can tell, but the dragon would not say anything.
Natsu turns towards the opening of the forest. There are people who depend on him and the other knights. He swears to find power he needs without using the darkness in his heart. He clenches his hands, remembering the evil grin of his counterpart. Whatever that Natsu is, he is not willing to risk his friends for that power. Standing up, Natsu takes a deep breath. Now is not the time to worry about his darker side. Right now, he needs to focus on the upcoming battles. Smirking, Natsu smacks his hands together. It is time to show his enemies that messing with a member of the Galactic Knights is something they should never do.
A/N: Thanks for reading and please review. Until next time!