OPENING NOTES: To Seraphim Emperor: Don't worry about the spelling/grammar comment...I have a lot of those, I know. I'm trying to pick them out, but my darn spell check doesn't like me. Thanks for the review, though!

Thanks to all for your supportive reviews!

Chapter Six: Handicapped

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND YOUR DRAGOON SPIRIT?" Ben exploded. They had moved outside for utter secrecy when discussing this dilemma.

"I mean it has exceeded my visual capabilities!" Robert replied "What do you think I mean?"

"How could you lose it?" Melissa asked frantically.

"Hey! I did NOT lose it! No way would I lose something that valuable!"

"Then what happened?"

"It's just a theory," Robert said. "But I think it was stolen."

"By who?" Melissa then answered her own question. "The Black Dragoon, you think?"

"It's a hunch." Robert sighed. "Man, I gotta find it!"

"Find what?" Adam asked, coming upon them.

Robert grabbed his shoulders. "Adam! Have you seen my green necklace?"

"The one you wear all the time? No." Adam seemed very frightened by Robert's desperate and demanding expression.

"Dyah! I can't find it anywhere!" Rob released him.

"Is it that important?" Adam asked.

"Yes!"

"Why?"

Rob hesitated. "It just is, okay!"

"Okay…well, if I find it I'll tell you, okay?"

"Okay." Rob nodded, calming himself. "See ya."

"See ya. Good game, Robbie; nice pass. Bye, Melissa."

She smiled. "Bye." Adam left.

Ben caught the look in her eye. "Did I miss something?"

"Hm?" Melissa looked up at him.

"That look you gave him."

"Oh…well, he kinda came to me in my distress. I, uh…kinda broke down when we were doing a project and he comforted me."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, that's a very sweet story," Robert mocked, "But we have a more pressing issue here!"

"Right," Ben nodded. "Okay, we'd best start searching."

It was Saturday morning. The Dragoons had searched everywhere for that Dragoon Spirit, but found nothing. They stuck to the theory that the Black Dragoon had stolen it and that they would steal it back next they saw him. Ben knew that it was up to himself and Melissa now to defend the world. Ben was still counting on the Dragon Buster, though.

Ben and Melissa went around the city, using their Dragoon Spirits to try and locate the one that was missing.

Unsure of what to do, Robert went back to the school, but of course, it was locked. He felt very helpless.

"What do I do?" He sighed.

"Another one of those days?"

Rob turned.

"Marian! Hi! Wow, how do you keep finding me?"

She shrugged. "Magic."

Rob chuckled. "You, uh, you doing anything?"

"Nope!"

"Walk with me, talk with me."

They headed out with no particular destination. Once more, Robert felt a release from the current stress.

It wouldn't last.

During the walk, Robert felt something…something familiar. He stopped.

"What's up?" Marian asked.

"I, uh…hang on."

Rob looked down an alley. It was coming from there, whatever it was. Robert went into the alley.

"What are you doing?" Marian wondered, following him.

"I gotta check something." Robert continued inward. Yes, he knew this feeling.

Something glowed green at a corner in the alley. Robert pressed forward. There it was!

"What's that?" Marian asked, pointing.

Robert smiled. "What I lost." He trotted over to it. He heard the Jade Dragon speak to him then.

HEAD'S UP!

Robert froze and looked up. With pure instinct, Robert jumped backwards as the Black Dragoon came down upon him. His blade impaled the ground that Robert had just been standing on.

Marian shrieked in fright as Robert jumped back to his feet, ready to fight, though he knew he couldn't win.

The Black Dragoon stood up tall.

"A mouse to the trap." He chuckled. "C'mon, Robbie. I thought you were better than that."

"What is that?" Marian exclaimed.

"Marian, run." Robert told her.

"Too late!" The Black Dragon laughed. His hands gathered up dark energy. There was nowhere to run; they were too far into the alley now. The Black Dragoon fired. Robert flinched.

Light flashed as powers collided. Robert opened his eyes upon realizing he wasn't dead. His jaw dropped at what he saw.

Marian stood in front of him now, her hand outstretched, creating a magical barrier to protect them both. She looked a little different, however. Her hair was no longer blonde, but her platinum silver roots had cut through the dye. Plus, two silver wings now emitted from her back.

The Black Dragoon stopped his onslaught to see what was stopping him and was equally stunned.

"What the?" He exploded. While he was stunned, Marian fired a white blast, knocking him into the wall. The Black Dragoon got up and faced off with her. Power emitted from her, creating a radioactive appearance around her body. The Black Dragoon decided he didn't need this. He grabbed the Jade Dragoon spirit and slid away in the shadows.

He had barely turned before he found himself face-to-face with Dragoon Ben and Dragoon Melissa.

As it turned out, Ben and Melissa had finally tracked the Dragoon Spirit when it called to Rob and raced over to see the danger it was warning him of.

"Huh." The Black Dragoon said. "Didn't see this one coming."

Melissa shot forward first as a quick distraction so he wouldn't move again. The Black Dragoon jumped to the side, but was then trapped there. Ben knew this was the moment to strike. He drew his weapon.

It looked like a simple dragon's head, but when a hand was inserted in its back, a fiery blade emerged from the dragon's mouth. Such irony that a Dragoon would use the weapon of his own destruction.

In a feeling of slow-motion, Ben ran forward, blade high. The Black Dragoon saw him and held up his own blade to block it. Of course, that blade had also come from the dragon, so it was also useless.

Ben swung the blade down.

CLANG!

The swords struck and all was still for a brief second.

Ben stared in horror upon seeing that the blade was still intact. The Black Dragoon swung his other blade around and Ben jumped over him. He swung the Dragon Buster down again and this time got his armored glove.

The Black Dragoon grunted under the impact, but the armor was barely dented! He jumped back over the Black Dragoon to avoid one more strike and finally got a slice of his chest. The armor had a small slice in it, but that was the extent of the damage.

What…? The Red-Eye Dragon whispered in Ben's mind. The Black Dragoon fired a great black beam and shot Ben out of the alley and across the street to the shock of the civilians. Ben quickly jumped up to the roof of a small building so no one would recognize him and looked back as Melissa and the Black Dragoon rose up and began their own short duel. That last attack had been surprisingly powerful and it would take a moment for Ben to recover. He could only hope Melissa could hold him off until then.

Melissa thrust her rapier forward and the Black Dragoon moved to the side and drew back his blade to stab, but to his surprise, Melissa shot her fist out, catching him in the face, then she swung her blade to the side, slashing his stomach, though his armor protected him.

The Black Dragoon lunged at her and Melissa ducked under him as he flew, but he was able to kick her from above. Melissa quickly regained her altitude and clashed her sword with his once he returned. He simply held her blade at bay and thrust his other blade forward, striking her right under the ear. She winced and the Black Dragoon kicked her away.

Before Melissa could regain composure, he tackled her and took her down to the alleyways for a closer combat. Melissa made her move, jumping and swinging her blade down. The Black Dragoon held his blades up to defend, but once the blades clashed, she flipped under them and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air from him. She stabbed at his head, but he moved it to the side in the knick of time and kicked her away. Lightning quick, he caught up with her and kicked her into the nearest wall. Before she could even think of recuperating, the Black Dragoon rammed his blade through her wing and through the brick of the building.

Melissa cried out and the Black Dragoon rammed his other blade through her right forearm, causing her to drop her blade. He pulled the blade out and simply grasped her upper arm, pressing his weight up against her. This and the sword in her wing prevented her from moving.

Melissa grinded her teeth and took the pain as best she could. The Black Dragoon ceased his assault and leaned in close, as he always did when he was alone with her. Then, the bottom part of his helmet shifted. It split down the middle and slid to the side, so she could see his smile.

"You're lucky I like you so much." He chuckled. His voice seemed a bit more human.

"Let me guess." Melissa said. "You want me to go over to your side."

"Have I not yet proven that it is the more beneficial one?"

She shook her head. "I don't care about benefits. I care about morals."

He cocked his head. "A Dark Dragoon cares about Morals?"

"I was human before I was a Dragoon. How about you? What sick race do you come from?"

He scoffed. "Does it matter? I have single-handedly removed nearly every obstacle in my path. All that remains is the Fire Dragoon, other than you, my dear."

"Don't call me that again."

"Your powers have failed you, your friends have fallen, and your stubbornness won't help you."

"No, but it's real annoying, ain't it?" She grinned.

The Black Dragoon created a black force to hold her in place so he could remove his arm and his blade, giving a bit of relief to Melissa. His blade disappeared and his wrapped that arm around her. The other hand stroked her face.

"Actually, I think it's kinda sexy."

Melissa's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."

He did. The Black Dragoon moved in close and kissed her full on the mouth. Melissa's eyes shot open in shock. It disturbed her that she could do nothing about it. But then, something happened. His black Dragoon Spirit began to shimmer and flow through his body and into hers!

Melissa felt an evil presence beginning to overwhelm her. A strange presence…drew her to him. Some darkness calling her…what was this? Where were these inhibitions coming from?

Melissa felt her defenses fall, as did the Black Dragoon. He smiled slightly, parting the kiss for a moment. "Well?" He said. "What do you think now?"

The girl tried her best to be defiant, but her mouth would not move at all.

"One way or another," The Black Dragoon continued, "You're going to love me."

With the last shred of sanity in her, Melissa's mind cried out for help. The Dark Dragon answered.

With a power not seen before by Melissa, the Dark Dragon struck back against this evil filling her bearer's body. The Black Dragoon was a master in the black arts, but the Dark Dragon was also not one to be taken lightly. Her powers only grew, forcing the poison out of Melissa's body.

The Black Dragoon sensed resistance and pressed harder.

"What power do you have over me?" He chuckled.

Melissa's eyes burned. "Let's find out." Her Dragoon Spirit glowed even brighter as yet more power fought against the Black Dragoon. For a moment, both dark powers tangled, each trying to cancel out the other. Melissa felt her body straining under the power. Her opponent also noticed.

"Your body cannot take the strain of such high power-not for long, at least. Your vessel will shred within mere moments."

Melissa gave a small smile. "It's still better than being with you."

That seemed to strike deep within the Black Dragoon. His expression was not a happy one. His jaw clenched tight and the mouthpiece of the helmet quickly formed together again.

"I'll show you!" He exploded, pouring more power in. Before he could get far, Robert performed a flying kick, knocking the Black Dragoon away.

"Don't you know how to treat a lady?" Robert smiled, even though he knew Melissa hated the term "lady."

The Black Dragoon jumped up and fired a black wave, knocking Robert back into a wall. Melissa was still recovering, so she was an easy target for the Black Dragoon's next attack. He ran over and gave an incredible punch, knocking her into the wall. The foundation of the building shook and pieces of brick crumbled around her. Melissa fell from the wall, slipping from consciousness.

As her vision faded, her Dragoon powers left her. The Black Dragoon took this opportunity to snatch up her Dragoon Spirit.

"You won't be so lucky next time." With that, he simply flapped his wings and flew away from the scene, victorious again.

Ben finally recovered and began searching for Melissa when he saw the Black Dragoon fly away. Ben hurried to investigate the scene and saw Robert checking up on Melissa.

"What happened?" Ben asked.

"He knocked us both back." Robert explained. "She's alive, but out cold. However, he took her Dragoon spirit."

Ben let out a heavy sigh. "Perfect. Just perfect." He threw his arms in the air and let them drop limp at his side. "How did the Dragon Buster fail?" He whispered. Robert wasn't sure what to say.

"I guess you'll be taking her to Ulara then?"

Ben groaned. "I guess…you okay?"

Robert nodded. "Took a Healing Potion. I'll be fine."

"Good."

"Hey, have you seen Marian?"

"Who?"

"Right. You don't know her. She's about yay tall with blonde hair…or actually, it's silver now. Anyhow, she saved me from the Black Dragoon."

"How?"

"She created a magic shield. She's a wingly!"

"Wingly!"

"Yeah! Incredible, isn't it?"

"Where is she?"

"That's what I want to know. Looks like she vanished."

"I suggest you find her and talk to her about all this." Ben looked down at Melissa. "I'm going to take her to Ulara. Take care."

"You too."

Ben picked up Melissa and flew away, knowing the path all too well.

Marian ran the whole way home with her hood up to conceal her silver hair. Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes.

Not again…

She kept repeating those two words in her head. She ran into her house, hoping nobody was home, but her mother was. She just hoped she'd be ignored. Marian walked to her room, closed the door behind her, locked it, and jumped onto her bed.

A knock soon rapped upon the door.

"Marian?" Her mother called. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Marian lied.

"Doesn't sound like nothing. Open up."

"I don't want to."

Suddenly, the lock opened and her mother opened the door, a small swirl of magic surrounding her finger. Marian sat up in her bed, curled up in a ball, pulled her hood further over her head and pulled the strings tight. Her mother sat down on the bed next to her.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Marian curled up tighter. "I'm not moving again! I'm not!"

"What?" Her mother connected the dots on her own. "Oh, no…did you display your powers again?" The silence was answer enough. Her mother threw herself backwards onto the girl's bed, rubbing her temples. "Marian, you continue to tell us how you hate moving, but you bring it upon yourself!"

Marian removed her hood. "Mom, I had no choice! I had to defend myself!"

The older female sat up. "Marian, I've told you before. Teleporting away from bullies is no excuse!"

"No! It wasn't like that! I was attacked by a monster!"

"A monster?"

"Yeah…some black thing. I don't know what it was, but it fired a beam and I had to protect us!"

"Us?" Her mother caught on. "Who is 'us'?"

Marian hesitated and rested her chin on her knees.

"Marian?" Her mother's eyes narrowed. Marian finally admitted it.

"Robert Williams."

"Robert…the basketball star?"

"Yep."

"What were you doing with him?" But once more, she figured out the answer herself. She sighed. "Marian, we've been over this a dozen times."

"I know." Marian mumbled. Her mother said it anyway.

"You cannot get into a relationship with a human. It wouldn't work!"

Marian didn't speak, her eyes fixed upon the bedsheets. Her mother moved closer and put her arm around her daughter. "Sweetheart, I know how badly you want to be with somebody, but it just can't happen between you and a human. Our lives are longer than theirs and you would only end up heartbroken."

Marian shook her head. "Mom, this one was different."

"They're all different, honey."

"Just hear me out, okay? You said yourself he's the basketball star. He's always surrounded by cheerleaders, all of which adore him. He could have had his pick of any one of them. Heck! He could've had every last one of them if he desired, but you know what? He didn't. I saw that look in his eyes…he chose me."

Her mother gave a small smile at the romantic story.

"I didn't even do anything!" Marian continued. "I just stood there as he ran by. I took my hoodie off and he just stared at me!"

"You what?" her mother exclaimed.

"I had clothes underneath. Don't freak out, mom." She rolled her eyes. "But he actually fell down the stairs because he was looking at me!" She laughed. "For the longest time, I thought a girl like me would never have a chance with a superstar like him, but…it wasn't so. He actually seemed glad to see me each time from then on."

"And what happened?" Marian's mother asked.

"Well…that thing attacked us and I put up a shield to protect us. That thing began to leave, but it seemed to be attacked by something else."

"By what?"

"I don't know…once Robert wasn't looking, I ran. I was scared or what he'd think, so I just ran…but I'm not moving! Not again…"

Marian's mother thought long and hard. "Well…I suggest you talk to Robert about it, at least."

Marian's eyes shot open. "You mean it?"

"Just to see what's going on exactly and to find out what he thinks of all this...and about this...whatever it was...that attacked."

Marian jumped on her mother, wrapping her arms around her.

"No promises!" Her mother continued. "I'll talk to your father and we'll work something out, okay?"

"Deal!" She hugged her mother again.

Melissa would recover quickly, thankfully; her case wasn't like the others. She would be tended to by the winglies until she woke up, which shouldn't be too long.

Ben sat atop a wingly rooftop, still clad in his dragon armor. His wings dropped, as did his head. Little life seemed to surge through him.

"I failed." He muttered to his dragon.

You haven't failed yet. The Red-Eye Dragon assured him.

"Oh? Under my command, Christie and Mike were beaten to a pulp, Brad overcharged himself and Brittany took the hit from that, Robert and Melissa both had their Dragoon Spirits stolen, Sean hasn't woken up yet, and none of my ideas have worked thus far."

But you're still here, aren't you?

"So?"

So, you haven't yet failed. Look at it this way. The Black Dragoon has always tried to have the stealth approach. He has not dared to seriously attack you yet. He fears you, I think.

Ben understood. "I should meet him in a real challenge."

I agree. If you can get him to fight you like a man, we might be able to win.

"You think so?"

It's a distinct possibility. He has not yet felt your full strength…and he has not yet felt my wrath.

Ben nodded and stood to his feet. "Alright then. Chances are he'll come back here to finish whatever he started. This armor doesn't come off until the battle is over. This time, we'll be ready for him."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Dragoons knocked from eight to one. It's all up to Ben now. Will he rise victorious or be crushed beneath the foot of darkness? Find out in the next chapter. Review until then, if you will.