I don't own The Legend of Dragoon, any of the characters except the Takahari family, the Choose Your Own Adventure book I got the concept of kuji from, or Star Ocean 2, which is where I got the name of the Soul Slayer from.
I awoke feeling stiff, sore, and tied to a tree. At first I was merely puzzled, but then I remembered how I had come to lose consciousness.
I looked around, trying to spot Ryan. What I saw at first shocked me: he'd managed to incapacitate the others, as well, and tie them up. How he had succeeded in that, I didn't know, but it was clear that Ryan had been holding back when I'd fought him in the Shrine. I was very glad that he'd decided to betray us before I had the chance to teach him the more advanced Rage Demon attacks.
When I finally saw Ryan, I felt an icy fist close on my heart: his eyes were glowing red, and he was carrying the Soul Cleaver, now glowing a deeper red than I had ever seen it.
He saw me watching him. "Finally awake, eh, Brother?" He smiled mockingly.
"Don't call me that," I snapped. "I don't acknowledge traitors as family. And you didn't escape from the dojo, did you?" Ryan didn't respond. "And the Soul Cleaver isn't really an heirloom of the family Art, is it?"
"You're half right," he said. "The Soul Cleaver is an heirloom, but this is not the Soul Cleaver. It's true name is Soul Slayer. Related to Soul Cleaver, it's an evil blade, which possesses its bearer. Soul Cleaver was forged to destroy it, but Soul Slayer's original wielder attacked the ship that was carrying it, and it was lost. It has not been seen for a thousand years." Ryan gazed at the demonic blade. "I did tell the truth on one thing, however. The two swords were forged in Endiness."
I stared at him in fury. "You won't get away with this, Ryan. If I have to, I will kill you."
He waved his hand. "I don't think so, Ian. But enough talk. It's time to take you to His Majesty Doel. He will be most pleased that the plan was a success."
I shook my head. "Despite the fact that you are one yourself now, you continue to underestimate Dragoons. Not to mention my own ninja training."
Ryan frowned, the first indication of doubt that he'd shown thus far. "What do you mean?"
"This!" I dropped out of the tree, having used the conversation as cover for my escape efforts. Yanking my old katana out of the ground where Ryan had left it, I leapt, transforming into a Dragoon midair. "Come and get me!"
Ryan's face took on an expression of fury, and he used his own Dragoon Spirit. Instantly, a red vortex formed, which sucked him in. When he emerged, I got my first look at the Dragoon of the Time Dragon.
His armor, too, was like Dart's, but a much deeper, more blood-like, red. Soul Slayer had not changed much, but it was glowing more than ever. "You're not getting away, Ian! Doel wants you alive, but he'll accept a corpse."
"Maybe," I replied, "but before you can take me to him, you have to survive the next few minutes, don't you?" Despite my bravado, however, I was worried. Ryan may have been possessed, but he appeared to get immense power in return.
I wish Soul Cleaver was around. That'd deal with Slayer pretty quick, I snorted mentally. And while I'm wishing, why don't I wish to be back at the dojo before any of this happened.
Shaking off my thoughts, I readied my katana, waiting for Ryan to strike. When he did, Flew around him and slashed him in the back.
"Urgh!" He grunted, then spun around, using the momentum to deliver a stroke that sent me cart-wheeling through the air. Ryan followed up with a combination that he shouldn't have known about: "Shun Goku Satsu!"
"Aaaaahhhh!!!" Badly injured, I fell toward the sea. Ryan hovered nearby, evidently satisfied that I would drown.
Then a bright pulsing attracted our attention: Soul Slayer was resonating, and there was a matching a pulse in the sea. Ryan's expression turned to horror as we both realized the only thing that could cause that reaction in both his sword and the sea: the long-lost blade, Soul Cleaver, had been found. And Soul Slayer's presence had awakened it.
"Nooooo!" Ryan swept down to the water, but I turned my fall into a Dragoon powered dive, plunging into the water.
Once underwater, I saw it, rising from the depths where the sword had slept for a thousand years. It came straight into my hand, glowing brightly.
As soon as my hand closed on it, I felt my wounds heal, my strength return. Holding the shining katana, I rose from the sea. Ryan was staring at me in shock and horror.
"It can't be!" He raised Soul Slayer again, futilely hoping to defend against the brother of the sword he wielded.
"You should be happy, Brother. I'm about to destroy the blade that has possessed you." I flew at him, building up speed, and struck Soul Slayer with Soul Cleaver. The evil sword survived the first blow, but it was cracked, and the second strike shattered it.
Pieces of it flew in all directions, one of them going through my armor, but with Soul Slayer destroyed, Ryan dropped to the ground, reverting to human form and blacking out.
I followed Ryan down to the ground, catching him and easing him to the dirt. Leaving him there, I went to untie the others. They had all still been unconscious during my aerial battle with Ryan.
Coughing, Dart stood. "Ian? What happened? Last thing I remember is something heavy hitting me in the head."
I gestured to Ryan's unconscious body. "Ryan happened. And the heavy something was me. Ryan decided to throw me into a tree, and you and Rose just happened to be in the way. After that, of course, he knocked everyone else out and tied us up. In short, Ryan betrayed us."
Shana looked shocked. "What!? Why!?"
Dart's expression was first shocked, then furious. "He betrayed us, and you let him live!?"
"Calm down, Dart," Haschel said. "Put yourself in Ian's place. He could no more kill Ryan than you could have killed Lavitz."
"True," Albert answered, "but you should have at least tied him up, Ian." This triggered an argument, which rapidly increased in volume until we began to shout.
Surprisingly, it was Rose that broke it up. "Enough!" We looked at her in surprise. "Do you think anything will get done if you keep shouting at each other? Besides, Ian hasn't even had the chance to explain himself. That should clear things up."
I nodded. "Exactly. As I was intending to say before you all started screaming yourselves hoarse, this wasn't Ryan's fault." I held up a fragment of the shattered Soul Slayer. "The sword that he gave me, the one he claimed was the Soul Cleaver, was, in fact, the Soul Slayer, an evil weapon which had possessed him. I think that after he wakes up, we'll find that on the night of the assassins, he was captured by surviving Sandorans and brought to Emperor Doel, who was evidently in possession of the Soul Slayer. I suspect, however, that the plan was Lloyd's. He probably brought the sword to Doel. For that matter, Lloyd was probably behind the assassination attempt in the first place."
Albert nodded. "He is quite clever. That's why I employed him as an advisor. But how did you destroy the Soul Slayer?"
"With this." I held up the real Soul Cleaver. "When Ryan got me out over the water, his sword started resonating, and this one's location was revealed by a matching pulse. After I destroyed Soul Slayer, Ryan was apparently released, thus sparing me from the necessity of killing him." I looked down. "I only wish more of my family had survived the Sandoran attack."
The others, even Rose, fell silent briefly. The silence was broken when Ryan started to sit up with a groan. I hurried to him.
"Ugh…" He looked up at me. "…Ian? What happened? Where are we? I just had the weirdest dream…"
"No dream, Ryan," I said gently. "This is all real. How much do you remember?"
"Everything, I guess… The last thing I can remember that doesn't seem… odd, is being brought before that Doel guy. After that, things seem dreamlike, but I can remember it…"
"Easy, Ryan." I handed him a potion. "You've had a rough time. Take it easy for a little while."
"Yeah…" The events of the last few hours seemed to return to him. "Sorry about what I did to you guys back there. Wasn't quite myself." That brought chuckles. "I seem to remember something about a sword. Soon as it got close, wham."
"I know. Don't worry about it. I just shattered the katana in question. Just rest for now. As soon as you've rested a little bit, we're going to Kazas. How'd you like to get a little payback from that scum?"
"Count me in. Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready to go." Ryan already seemed to be recovering.
"Alright. We're gonna have to hurry once we do get going, though. We've lost quite a bit of time."
It took us an additional two days to get to Kazas. It was night on the second day when we arrived. By this time, Ryan had fully recovered, and I had trained him in some of the more advanced Rage Demon and kuji techniques. We had every intention of knocking "Emperor" Doel into next week. Especially Ryan, who had a personal score to settle.
In front of the Black Castle, we were forced to halt. "Too many guards," Dart said. "We'll have to find another way in."
Albert pointed toward a somewhat dilapidated building near the castle. "Before the war, that was a fortress. It may have a secret entrance to the castle."
Dart shrugged. "Worth a try." We carefully entered the old fortress, avoiding the various pitfalls inherent in such structures.
After searching the fort, we came across a young boy named Popo. Thinking we wanted to enter the New Serdio Party, he asked us three questions. "First, which side do you want to win, Basil or Sandora?"
"I cannot say which," Dart replied. "The important thing is to end the war as soon as possible."
"I agree. The longer the war goes on, the more people get hurt. Next question: What should powerless kids like us do?"
"Take care at home, so the warriors have something to come back to," Dart answered.
Popo nodded. "I think so, too. There are things even we can do. Last question: Why do people fight?"
Dart replied without hesitation. "If war is to destroy or obtain something, I'll throw my sword away. I fight to protect people."
"That's right! My grandpa says the same thing."
Albert spoke up. "Your grandfather is very wise, then."
The boy looked at him curiously. "Do I know you?"
"Though we have never met, you may know my face. I am Albert, King of Basil."
I was somewhat surprised that the boy didn't die of shock. "You're King Albert!? You've come to end the war!?"
"That's what we're here for," Dart said. "But we can't get into the castle."
"I know a way!" Popo was getting more excited by the moment. "This place used to be a fort, so there's a secret entrance to the castle."
"Can you show us?" Haschel asked.
"Follow me!"
Popo led us to what looked somewhat a dry well. "This leads right into the Black Castle. Good luck."
"We will end the war," Ryan said. "You've got our word on that." No kidding. Ryan no doubt wanted to rip Doel's throat out himself.
In single file, we carefully maneuvered through the tight, sometimes claustrophobic passage. It eventually led right into the castle, just beyond the well-guarded front gate.
I turned to Dart. "Ryan and I will go on ahead. We'll meet you further into the castle." He started to protest, but I cut him off. "We'll be fine. We're ninjas, remember? This is literally the sort of thing we were born and bred to do. Besides, this way you'll have less opposition."
He nodded reluctantly. "Okay. But be careful. There are a lot of guards here."
"Always are. Let's go, Ryan."
We headed off through the Black Castle, sneaking up on guards and killing them in many and varied messy ways. We eventually came across an elite soldier, the same type that I had fought in Hoax before Kongol showed up.
I glanced at Ryan. "Do you want to kill him, or shall I?"
"Let me, Ian. I wasn't at Hoax, so I don't know how much of a challenge they are."
"Be my guest." I bowed mockingly. The elite soldier was looking at us as if we had both gone insane.
He wasn't looking at anything much longer. Ryan casually drew his katana and decapitated him. "Ugh." Ryan said. "There's nothing quite as foul smelling as the corpse of a Sandoran."
"Ahh, you're just upset because they used you try and kill the rest of us," I said, chuckling.
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Guess you've got a point." I looked around. "Anyway, we should go see how the others are doing."
"Right." We left the stinking corpse and went looking for our comrades.
We found them puzzling over a pedestal of some kind on a platform overlooking an enormous statue of a goddess. They finally figured it out just as Ryan and I joined them.
Albert looked up at us. "Ah. You're here. Good. We were just starting to think you'd suffered some horrible fate."
Ryan jokingly scowled. "Thanks a lot, Albert. We just a little delayed, that's all. Ian and I couldn't decide which of us should kill an elite soldier. Just took a little more time than we expected."
Haschel shook his head. "I have never seen anyone more blasé then you two are about killing."
"So?" I said. "We're assassins by birth and breeding. That's what ninja do. But now that we've gotten the obligatory insults out of the way, how's about we go kill Doel."
"Right," Dart replied. "This way." We headed down to a door that had opened up in the side of the Goddess Statue.
Unfortunately, we encountered something nasty on the way up. "I smell blood in the air," Rose said.
"It's not human…" Haschel concurred.
"Kongol!!" Dart yelled. Indeed, the huge Giganto was coming our way, this time missing his ax, but making up for the loss with sometime of armor with claws attached.
"Gigantos don't lose twice! Kongol will pay you back for Hoax!" With that, he charged us, slamming me against the wall.
"Albert!" Ryan called. "He's Earth-based! That's your department, right!?"
In reply, Albert transformed into a Dragoon, flying just out of range. "No one else transform! Save your strength for Doel. I can handle this!" And handle it he did, once I got out of the way. "Gaspless!" The wind spell hammered the Earth-based Giganto.
In response, Kongol slammed Albert into a wall, stabbed him with his claws, then threw him. I took the opportunity to leap on Kongol's back and stabbed him.
He dropped, and Rose destroyed his armor. "Giganto… brother of hero… with strongest armor… lost. Finish me."
"As you wish." Rose raised her rapier for the killing blow.
"Stop!" Dart said. "The game is over."
"Game? This is no game."
"Stop. He can't fight anymore," Shana said.
Rose looked over at her. "I hope your sweetness doesn't get you killed." But she relented. "Let's go. Doel is just ahead."
When we entered the throne room, we saw Doel on his throne. "So you've come," he said.
"Uncle…" Albert began. "Do you remember me? I am the son of the brother you killed… Albert!"
"You remind me of Carlo, twenty years ago… a bloodstained corpse in front of me."
Albert's face twisted in fury. "Why did you divide Serdio by killing my father!? Tell me!"
"To save Serdio from an incompetent king named Carlo."
Dart stepped forward. "Why did you have Shana kidnapped!?"
Doel thought briefly, then spoke. "Oh, you mean Lloyd's conspiracy. 'Find the girl before the Moon That Never Set waxes'. It is all the plan of the reborn Emperor Diaz."
Rose shook her head in disgust. "Are you crazy? Diaz is dead. He's been dead for 11,000 years."
"Nevertheless, it is his plan."
Ryan exploded. "You-" He spat out a string of pejoratives in what sounded like a combination of Latin and Russian. "Now you're going to die!" He looked over at me. "Ready, Ian?"
I nodded. "Let's do it." I took a deep breath. "Shun Goku Satsu!" Ryan was beginning the same attack, with one difference: it was the exact reverse of mine. We had rehearsed this on the way to Kazas.
We charged Doel simultaneously, mirroring each other's attacks. The hammering it gave him seemed at first to defeat him, but only at first.
"You think to defeat me that easily!? Try this!" Doel began to glow with a light that I was all too familiar with: he was transforming into the Dragoon of the Violet Dragon, which was thunder-based.
Ryan and I leapt back. "Scatter!" I yelled. "Everyone transform!" Following my own advice, I used the Diamond Dragoon Spirit, while Ryan used his Time Dragoon Spirit for the first time in his right mind.
The first thing to hit Dragoon Doel was a fire spell. "Final Burst!" With his wings on fire, Dart rushed Doel.
Rose was next, using her simplest, but perhaps most useful, spell. "Astral Drain!" It stole energy from Doel and gave it to us.
Ryan unexpectedly followed up with one of his spells. "Time Freeze!" It caused Doel to freeze in place, for time was standing still as far as he was concerned.
I used the opening for a spell of my own. "Diamond Storm!" Unfortunately, I didn't get away in time, so he was able to hit me with his pair of swords and send me flying.
"Rose Storm!" Albert cast the protective magic, then flew in on his uncle, driving a spear into his gut. Doel retaliated by casting a spell of his own, hammering all of us.
Battered and bruised, I finally drew the Soul Cleaver and dashed at him. He promptly knocked me away with a punch, but it gave Dart an opening. He moved in for the kill, stabbing Doel and giving him a mortal wound.
Doel slowly sank to the floor, dropping one of his swords and using the other to brace himself. "You have grown… strong," he said to Albert.
"Uncle." He lowered his spear.
"What you must know is not the past, but the future. Pursue… Lloyd. He is in the western country of Tiberoa."
"Tiberoa?"
"He knows… everything. Go, and find out about the world. About… everything." With that, Doel collapsed, his life having left him. The Dragoon Spirit of the Violet Dragon rose towards the ceiling.
Haschel looked up. "I guess our journey is over."
"No." We all looked at Dart. "Our journey began when Shana was kidnapped. I'm going after Lloyd!"
"My journey 'cannot end' either," Albert said. "I'll give up my status as a king for a while, and travel as a Dragoon. Lavitz would have agreed completely."
Shana was obviously going with Dart. "What about you, Rose?" I asked.
"I told you, I'm interested in you guys. Besides, you feel naked without me, don't you?" I just rolled my eyes.
"What are going to do, Ian, Ryan?" Dart asked. "Now that the Dark Mirror is available, will you be returning to your own world?"
Ryan shook his head. "No. We have a personal interest in this, and there isn't really anything for us to go back to."
I nodded. "United we stand, divided we fall."
Haschel seemed to be leaving. "Where are you going?" Shana asked.
Before he could reply, the Violet Dragoon Spirit drifted down to him. Rose watched without surprise. "'As Dragoons meet, blood will flow, and as they leave, time does slow.'"
The Dragoon Spirits shone brightly, and for the first time in a while I actually felt at peace. Then, without warning, I felt an excruciating pain in my gut. The shard of the Soul Slayer! I should have known. I managed to gasp, "The shard…" before collapsing into blackness…
Author's note: Whew! That was a long chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, and please keep it up. -Solid Shark
