Harlequin rising chapter five: Naga vs. Death Dragon!

"You heard me!" Naga said, brandishing his claws, "I will never permit you too harm Master Holly."

The death dragon just stared at Naga, then broke into a bout of wheezing, raspy laughter.

"You cannot be serious." Death dragon flapped his wings and stomped his feet, "I am Death Dragon, the eternal enforcer and slave too the great Harlequin! How could you hope to defeat me?"

Naga stood there, his fin ears lowered in confusion. "Who the heck is Harlequin?"

A bead of sweat formed on Death dragon's brow. "Your serious? You've never heard of him?"

Naga shook his head. Death dragon sighed.

"Harlequin is the king of evil, the master of chaos, the lord of destruction. And ill have you know that he is none other than…"

"DEATH DRAGON!"

An ominous voice boomed from above. Death dragon and the others looked up but saw nothing, Holly just shuddered with fear as she recognized the voice…

'Its him.' She thought, 'that's the voice that's been trying too make me use these powers.'

"Master, where are you?" Death dragon exclaimed.

"That's not important you idiot. Just kill that pest Naga, then deal with the rest of them. And don't tell them my little secret. I want too tell Holly that myself when we meet face to face, understand?"

Death dragon nodded, then looked down too Naga. "All right, you heard the man, lets start this."

Naga looked up and nodded, "Should I start?"

"Oh by all means."

"All right then." Naga suddenly dropped too his claws and hit Death dragon's legs with his tail, knocking him on his back. Naga then body slammed him, causing the giant Monster too roll back into a burning building, the villagers watched as the building collapsed onto Death dragon.

"Wow! That was great naga!" Genki said, patting Naga on the back. "You still got it!"

Holly stood up and looked at Naga smiling. "Thanks for coming, but what's this 'Master Holly' Business?"

Naga stood there with a serious look upon his face.

"Ill be glad too justify my presence here in a minute master Holly, but first I must dispose of Death dragon."

"You cant be serious," Niton said, walking up too Naga, "How do you know the collapsing building didn't finish him?"

Naga glared at Niton. "I know because I know!" Naga hissed, "I make it my business too know!"

"Naga stop it, Niton was just…"

Before Holly had a chance too scold Naga further, the collapsed rubble exploded upward, Death dragon rose from the burning skeleton of the building and roared in rage. Suddenly a sphere of energy began too form in his mouth.

"Oh crap!" Naga screamed. With a swish of his tail, he knocked Holly, Genki and Niton out of the way, just as the energy beam struck.

"Oh man that hurt." Genki said, getting too his feet. He looked over too see Naga lying there burned badly from the blast.

"NAGA!" Holly yelled, running too Naga, but then Naga forced himself up.

"NO!" He said, trying too balance himself, "Master Holly, stay back. Its too dangerous!"

"But…" Holly said, reaching toward Naga,

"Holly… my sister, please. I don't want too lose you like I did Master Moo…"

Genki, Niton, and the villagers just stood there shocked, "Naga's your brother?"

Holly laughed nervously, "It's a long story, you see…"

Holly's story was cut short by a large crashing noise, Holly and the others turned too see Death dragon looming over Naga, Naga rolling left and right too avoid being stomped on by the huge skeletal monster.

"GENKI! MASTER HOLLY! GET OUT OF HERE! ILL STOP HIM!" Naga screamed as he defiantly spit out a gout of toxic smoke at Death dragon, driving him into the air.

"Naga, were not gonna abandon you!" Genki said, running towards naga, suddenly Holly stopped him.

"Genki, let him go."

"But… Holly," Genki looked into Holly's eyes for a second, and saw a strange gleam in her eyes. Genki looked back too Naga. He was up on death dragon, and he had the beast in a chokehold with his tail.

"All right," Genki said, a hint off resentment in his voice, "Lets get everyone out of here."

As Genki and the others made there way through the forest, Genki looked back.

"Holly, I can't believe you would leave Naga behind like that."

Holly looked back too Genki. "I'm not abandoning Naga: I'm doing what Naga wants. He's fighting Death dragon in order too stall him while we get too safety. Anyways, you know that we would only get in Naga's way at this point."

Genki looked down and sighed, he hated too admit it, but Holly was right, he had been practicing in the real world, but he was still out of practice, "Yeah, I guess your right, but I still feel like a heel leaving him alone like that."

Holly patted Genki's back and smiled slyly.

"Now, I never said that Naga was alone, did I?"

***

Naga had fought for as long as he could. But even as Death dragon held his limp and battered body high above him, he could only smile.

"Master Holly…" Naga whispered weakly, "At least Ill die knowing she escaped."

"Don't count on it." Death Dragon wheezed as he opened his jaws. "When I'm done with you, I'm going after her next."

"Wait… before you kill me." Naga said, "What is Harlequin?"

"Why you want too know?"

"As a fellow baddie, I feel you owe me that much."

The death dragon smiled.

"Well, Since you're about too die anyway, I may as well tell you."

Death dragon dangled Naga in front of him.

"This is from his mouth, so I can't confirm or deny it, but Harlequin claims to be the son of Moo."

Naga just laughed and laughed at this.

"What's so funny?"

"Two things actually: the first thing is that your master is a liar. Moo only has one child, and that is Holly."

"Holly?" Death dragon said, arching an eyebrow, "That mousy little human Harlequin sent me for is her sister?"

"That mousy little human is Moo's one and only child. Your master is a liar, or an idiot."

Death dragon snarled, "How dare you insult my master. Now before I kill you, what else were you laughing at?"

Suddenly death Dragons question was answered with a massive bolt of energy striking him in the side. Death dragon fell on his side and dropped Naga. Naga smiled, as he looked up too see Granity floating down too his side.

"Thanks for waiting Granity." Naga said, as Granity helped Naga up.

"It took you long enough too signal me." Granity said, as Naga got balanced.

Naga smiled as his eyes met Granity's. "Well, I'm sorry I worried you, but now I know who is behind the attack. It's this maniac Harlequin."

Then, for just a moment, Naga and Granity's eyes met. The two former baddies stood in silence.

The silence was broken by a rumbling noise as Death dragon arose. The two looked over too the monster, who had a massive hole in his ribs. "You two… you'll pay for this."

"All right, " Naga said, "Lets finish this Bag of bones once and for all!"

Granity smile and nodded, and they began too charge up, and then they fired two massive bolts of energy at Death dragon, causing him too turn into a lost disc.

"There…" Naga said, collapsing onto the ground. "We got him…"

"Naga!" Granity kneeled over and lifted Naga up, "Naga, please stay with us."

Naga smiled weakly. "Ill stay, Holly still need's me. But do me a favor."

"Yes, anything."

"Please… don't tell Holly that Harlequin is Moo's son."

"But, I thought that was a lie."

Naga's eyes closed and he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Naga? Naga? NAGA!"

Elsewhere…

Far away.

Far away, in a dark castle on the other side of the world, a masked clown sits on a throne.

He sits and watches the villagers put out the fire, he watches Genki and Holly help Granity take Naga back too her mansion too recover. He watches Niton begins tallying up costs for repair materials and gives an estimation too Holly.

He isn't happy.

Not at all.

"Master Harlequin." Demon said, appearing before his master.

Harlequin sat silent.

"I know you were counting on Holly destroying Death dragon, but rest assured he is not the most powerful minion in our army, not by far. I have at my disposal far greater warriors than he."

Harlequin laughed.

It started as a light chuckle, barley inaudible, but then swelled into a loud hideous cackle. Demon just stood there, shuddering at the site of his master's insane, uncalled for laughter.

Laughter that echoed through the eerie castle and into the surrounding countryside.

Laughter that could be heard elsewhere.

Back at the village.

Holly, Genki, and Granity were helping Naga down the road too Granity's mansion, (the only building undamaged by Death Dragons rampage.) when suddenly they were surrounded by insane laughter. Genki and Granity dropped Naga and got ready too fight. Then, as suddenly as it came, it went away.

"What was that?" Granity said, looking around.

Holly closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It's a sign of things too come."

Next chapter: A new quest: Too defeat Harlequin, We will reunite the magnificent seven!