SailorStar9: After uploading Chapter 18, I present Chapter 19 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 19: He Who Emerges from Darkstar!
"Fire Dragon King." the Supreme Elder looked at the statue of the Fire Dragon King. "To preserve the peace of this world, we faithfully followed you. But the result... only I am left here now. I believe what we did was the right thing. I believe and yet... Fire Dragon King, what were you trying to tell us in that prophecy of destruction?"
Outside the Fire Dragon King temple...
"What's going on here?" Lina breathed.
"I thought Valgarv was swallowed by Darkstar." Amelia remarked.
"Valgarv-sama!" Jiras wailed.
"Is it really Valgarv?" Filia stepped forward. "That time, in trying to destroy everything in this world when Valgarv summoned Darkstar, he was... I thought he was killed by Darkstar. How could he still be alive?"
"Meaning you want to know who's really standing over there." Xellos noted.
"In any case," Sirius teleported in with Erulogos. "We have to assume it can only be Darkstar." Sirius declared.
"In that case, we have only one path to take." Erulogos declared. "We must kill him."
With a loud roar, Valgarv let loose Darkstar's power.
"Nezard, who gouges." Sirius readied his weapon.
"Bodigar, who smashes." Erulogos steadied himself.
The two Overworlders then fired their weapons together, merging the attacks into a wide energy beam.
Valgarv simply nullified the attack and expanded Darkstar's power outwards.
In response, the Supreme Elder changed into his Golden Dragon form to escape the destruction of the temple. Shooting through the looming dark clouds, he flew towards the center of the cloud mass. "Di Flasher!" he fired off a bombardment of energy shots at the light sphere in front of him. "The Ancient Dragon." he instantly recognized Valgarv. "Why is he here?"
Valgarv narrowed his eyes at the incoming Golden Dragon and unleashed his new power, terminally injuring the aged Dragon.
"Resurrection!" Amelia instantly cast the healing spell on the fallen Golden Dragon.
"His power is incredible." Zelgadis hissed. "Is that really Valgarv?"
"Did he die before or not?" Gourry wondered.
"Perhaps we could call it an obsession." Xellos reasoned. "Could the extreme hatred he possessed let him survive even after being devoured by Darkstar? Or else, perhaps Darkstar is now a fusion of God and Dragon."
"Ancient Dragon." the Supreme Elder started. "Even now, you wish for this world's destruction?"
Another flare of power from Darkstar silenced the old Dragon.
"How does it feel to be destroyed by one of those you destroyed?" Valgarv sneered. "How does it feel to have your past mistake endanger the world, servant of God?"
"Ancient Dragon, I take full responsibility." the Supreme Elder admitted. "However, I don't recall ever making a mistake."
"In that case, your very existence is a mistake." Valgarv declared. "Begone!" he incinerated the Supreme Elder, leaving only a smear of ash.
"I am the last of the Golden Dragons who served the Fire Dragon King." Filia addressed Valgarv. "I am now just like you. I'm also no longer a priestess. I think I now deserve to talk to you."
"Then I ask you this: who do you hate?" Valgarv inquired.
"I don't hate anyone." Filia answered. "Everything you've said was true. So, how? How can I atone for the sin we've committed? How can I ask for forgiveness? How do I quell the hatred you feel, Valgarv? How many more must be sacrificed before you're satisfied?"
"You don't understand at all." Valgarv sighed. "What I want isn't more sacrifice, what I want is the purification of the entire world. This polluted world itself is to blame. I'm going to return everything to its original form so it can start over. Let me ask you this: why does the war between Gods and Mazoku eternally repeat itself? Why does the battle go on? Sometimes, the Gods beat back the Mazoku. Sometimes, the Mazoku defeat the Gods. So why do they battle for all eternity?"
That's something no one in any world is allowed to know. Xellos was shocked.
"You still haven't figured it out?" Valgarv tsked. "It's because we're all caught in a trap someone created for us. It's a cruel story, isn't it? Darkstar and Vorfeed, who are now a part of me, told me all about it. Everyone is now exhausted. So why don't I break this endless cycle of hell? Overworlders, the purification of all worlds is the wish of both Darkstar and Vorfeed."
"You're saying our God wanted us to be destroyed?" Erulogos snapped.
"Exactly." Valgarv answered. "That's why Vorfeed emerged with Darkstar and decided to purify and recreate your world."
In other words, they're rebelling against their master. Xellos realized.
"You mind waiting a minute there?" Lina cut in. "There's no way we're gonna let you do that. Don't forget there's an acting representative for humanity here, too. Just because you guys have been trapped for a really long time in some stupid pattern doesn't mean we have to die because of it. Staying alive is the most important thing of all to us. We're gonna fight as hard as we can."
"This time..." Aria pulled Galveira taut. "I will save you, Valtiera!" she swore and released the charged up light arrow, which Valgarv easily fended off with an energy barrier.
"We have to attack together at full power." Lina led her group in for the full assault, using the swirling clouds as cover.
"No matter who he is, as long as he possesses Darkstar's power..." Erulogos started.
"We have to kill him." Sirius declared and the two Overworlders moved in.
"Here he comes." Lina cautioned, seeing Valgarv power up. "Use the Darkstar weapons and attack at full power."
"Lina, charge the Galveira with the 'Dragon Slave'." Aria told the sorceress.
"All right." Lina grinned and powered up, infusing the light arrow with the 'Dragon Slave'.
Aria then fired the charged up arrow straight towards Darkstar.
In the air, both Erulogos and Sirius combined their weapons to summon a golden ark which bombarded Darkstar with a volley of energy blasts.
A wide energy beam shot out from Darkstar, instantly destroying the ark.
"Looks like that didn't work out so well." Aria noted.
"Damn his strength." Erulogos cursed.
"Is that really a part of Darkstar?" even Sirius was shocked.
"Is the 'Giga Slave' our only chance now?" Lina whispered.
"Incoming!" Xellos barked out a warning.
"What in the world..." Aria frowned when the group found themselves engulfed in endless darkness.
"Don't worry." Valgarv appeared. "Death doesn't await you. After the purification, you shall be reborn. The war between God and Mazoku originally grew out of a supreme desire. However, the servants of the Gods and the agents of Mazoku forget what that desire was. And to defeat each other, they now fight only for the sake of fighting. How long must we be trapped in this useless war? I possess both the desire and the power of the God Vorfeed and Mazoku Lord Darkstar. I will break the cycle, destroy everything and start over. Recreate the world into the peaceful form it should be."
"A psychic attack." Zelgadis realized. "He's draining us from the Astral Plane."
"Then, Xellos..." Aria turned to see the Mazoku priest screaming in pain as his body was attacked.
"The Gods and Mazoku must not be allowed to exist." Valgarv insisted. "You, whose lives are so brief, humans: why do you devote yourselves to living when you die so soon? Don't you want peace? Don't you think it'd be better to change this world and end this eternal deadlock at last? Make it so no one would hurt anyone or be hurt by anyone?"
"Valgarv, do you know why Ragradia chose to be reborn as a human?" Aria questioned. "Because he still believed humanity is worth saving. Maybe humans do live lives that are too short, compared to the Dragon Lords. They do make mistakes, but so do the Dragon Lords, even Ragradia. But with every mistake, they sought to improve themselves. With each injury, they learned how not to incur the same wound. Humans cherish the past, present, and more importantly, the future. That's why we want to keep moving forward."
"Aria is right." Lina agreed. "That's why there's no way we'll let you ruin that. We're never going to stop, because we live."
"If you restart everything, then everything we've done won't have happened." Gourry pointed out. "Screw that."
"Valgarv, if you really want to destroy the world, to purify it, then why..." Filia started. "Why do I sees such sadness in your eyes?"
"I know why, Valgarv-sama." Jiras spoke. "Valgarv-sama, you saved me once. You're a good man. Please, come back to us."
"Once it begun, it cannot be stopped." Valgarv faded off. "Very well. Try if you like. You, who fight to keep on living."
Releasing the group from his psychic prison, Valgarv, still possessing Darkstar's power, moved onto his next location.
"In any case, if we don't defeat him, the world is doomed." Lina hissed.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.