Disclaimer: A riddle:
What is formless, shapeless, is ever present, obnoxious, and doesn't own Naruto or World of Warcraft?
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
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The air burned, as if it were aflame, as if they had descended into the very bowels of Hell itself. Stepping into the cavern was like opening the door of a mighty oven, and then having the stupidity to continue on, as if the heat was nothing. But the air not only burned, it strangled; it was heavy with smoke and the smell of sulfur, so much so that it made Naruto light-headed. But he was not the only one: Kaine looked ready to pass out, covered in fur as he was; the gnome brothers looked ready to shed their skin-tight suits, and fight Onyxia in their birthday suits than continue to bear the heat; Neera, and even Shandris, used to the cool, dark forests, were oppressed by the terrible heat; Gen'rash wiped his forehead what seemed like very few seconds, and his tongue hung out like a dog's; even Golbarn, who was used to such heat, living in the Barrens, seemed ready to drop. Only Fen and Myrdraxxis seemed unaffected, their bodies and flesh dead, and only a fraction of their sense of touch remained intact. They had no sweat glands, either, and so they alone among the group weathered the heat as if it were not there.
The cavern was massive. It was twice as wide as a city street, and seemed to go on to the very center of the world. Stalactites hung above them, forged from molten rock, dripping from cracks in the ceiling. Occasionally, someone would have to move slightly, to avoid the drops of molten run-off that created them. The ground was firm, though there were many gaps and fissure, some of which exhausted steam in great bursts, which on occasion would cause Neera to give a slight yelp of surprise. The steam was hot and smelled of rotting eggs.
But the cavern was deserted; it was as lifeless as Theramore, despite the distant rumbling, and the hissing of steam and dripping and flowing of molten rock. They had truly eliminated the remaining members of the Black Dragonflight led by Onyxia. It was enough to keep them moving—knowing that they had only one foe (or three, if one counted the two remaining dragonspawn that had escaped their grasp), and that they were in the home stretch.
Naruto strode ahead of the rest, not as their leader, but as the one with the most determination in his step. The fierce passion that had become his trademark had seized him again, and all that ran through his mind was the coming fight, one that would easily be considered his most dangerous yet. The blonde's raging spirit was palpable in the air, and his friends were heartened by it. So as they descended, they became more and more confident, with Naruto by their side.
They had come to see Naruto as more than a friend—each of them had their own special connection with the otherworldly blonde. And it was not just their love of noodles—Naruto had, at one time or another, done something for them that could not be repaid by worldly goods.
For Tsuwabuki, he was a partner; he was something more than a friend, and more than family. She could no longer care to remember her life when she hadn't been beside Naruto, even if it was heckling and making a nuisance of herself in his presence.
For Undrig, he had been an inspiration; a goal for him to reach, so that instead of guarding the gates of Ironforge day by day, he'd be able to fight alongside his allies as a true warrior.
For Linkizzle and Rurizzle, he had been a brother in arms; someone who had come to them in a time of need, and had fought his hardest to bring back a way of life that they had believed lost forever.
For Golbarn, he had been an annoying tag-along, at first; but he had grown on the orc, and soon he had come to realize just how important Naruto was to him, and to his city. Naruto had been an every-ready presence who had risked his life to protect Golbarn's fellow orcs, and the peace that they had held.
For Kaine, he had been a rival; he had been someone, so similar in creed and personality, who had fought like him, for many of the same reasons. Naruto had awakened in him an instinctual need to continually get better, so that he might better be able to protect his friends and allies.
For Gen'rash, he had been a savior; he had freed the troll from endless darkness and brutal fighting, in that arena created by Captain Blood, and had helped his race regain the place of their birth at every cost to himself.
For Fenritt, he had been an eye-opener; someone who had shown him that inaction would get him nowhere, and that in order to secure a life that he had always loved, he had to fight.
For Myrdraxxis, he had been a necessity; he had awakened Myrdraxxis' leader to her true self, and for that Myrdraxxis would always be grateful. He had helped change the order of things in a way that benefited them all.
For Neera, he had been a best friend; who had laughed with her and bore her teasing, who had spent time with her other than just in guard duty or training. He had helped her taste the fruits of friendship, and the world beyond Teldrassil, which she now wanted to see in its entirety.
And for Shandris, he had been a force of change; he had brought to the night elves a new way of life, one unhidden in the darkness, and had given her leader and friend, Tyrande, a way to hold on. He had provided them all with a sunlight that they would forevermore live in.
To all of them, Naruto was an important friend, more precious to them than any gold or power on earth. For with Naruto, they felt like they could do anything. Naruto's very presence made them wish to do their best in every aspect of their lives. And, it made them wish to put their all in him; to put their trust and faith and lives in his very capable hands; and they knew that their trust was well found. Naruto would never let them down; he would fight for them all, regardless of the cost to his own life.
And so, they too would fight, to protect him, and his yet unfulfilled dream.
They emerged from the tunnel, into a cavern that seemed a world unto itself. The ground sloped down, into a large pit, studded with great stalagmites, where the ground was cracked and glowed fiery orange—a testament to the lake of fire beneath it. The walls were perfectly smooth, and embroidered with symbols whose meaning was undecipherable by mere mortals. The ceiling was dome-shaped, and was lined with more cracks—but no molten rock flowed from them, and it only retained the hellish glow that the floor possessed. It was as if the entire cavern was a bubble in an ocean of flames. Around the entire room was a massive river, as wide as a city street, where the water of Hell flowed. They stood at the very edge of this river of superheated rock, gazing at the splendor—or perhaps the horror, of the world crafted by fire and earth that they had just stepped into.
In the center of it all, at the bottom of the slope, in a great arena nearly the size of a city square, the daughter of the Earth Warder lay, crouched on the floor like a great cat. For most, it was their first sighting of a true dragon, in all its splendor and glory. From where they stood, far away, she seemed small; but even so, she gave off a mighty presence that filled the cavern. It seemed to shake around her, and though she remained in her lounging position, she made her rage known by a sudden and violent shake of the earth, which knocked the group off balance.
"COME," she called, her voice seeming to come from all sides, as if the cavern itself had spoken.
The group remained stationary. Naruto glanced about him, at his friends, whose proximity was relieving. "Was everyone ready?" his eyes questioned.
They nodded, each one a quick, calm movement. Naruto smiled at all of them, and pumped his fist, saying nothing. They all returned his smile, and so as one they leaped over the river, and onto the top of the slope, staring down at Onyxia with a single, determined glare—as if they were all one soul, one entity, separated into many bodies. Their gazes differed in aesthetic qualities, but beneath those, the same spirit was reflected, burning hotter than the cavern they stood in.
But Onyxia was far from impressed. She was no more sensitive to such emotions than a human to an insect's. The dark hatred within her, for these insects, was all that she felt at that moment. She did not get up at their movement, and merely gazed back at them, her violet eyes staring back with false impassivity.
"WELCOME," she said, despite its untruth. "I'M GLAD YOU HAVE COME, THOUGH I LOATHE THAT AMONG YOU, THE LITTLE PRINCESS AND THE ARCHBISHOP ARE NOT. YOU HAVE SLAIN MY GUARDS, BUT I NO LONGER CARE." Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, baring her mighty jaws studded with teeth sharper than swords.
"SOMEHOW, DESPITE MY EFFORTS, YOU HAVE COME TOGETHER. THAT LITTLE WHORE FULFILLED HER DREAM, AND AN ALLIANCE SEEMS TO HAVE FORMED. IT WILL NOT MATTER—WHEN I HAVE FINISHED RIPPING YOU ALL TO SHREDS, AND FEASTING ON YOUR BODIES, WE WILL DESTROY THIS PETTY, FLIMSY ALLIANCE." Nobody knew what the "we" whom she was referring to meant.
She continued, and steadily began to rise as she did. She kept her massive wings folded to her great sides, and stood straight up, towering as large as the Ventursaurus Rex, perhaps even more.
"MY CHILDREN SHALL BE AVENGED, HERE," she said. "THEY WILL REJOICE IN YOUR DEATHS, AND EVEN AFTER THAT, THEY WILL PERSIST IN TORTURING YOU IN THE WORLD BEYOND. I SWEAR IT."
Naruto unconsciously became aware of something else dribbling into her voice—not hate or rage, but something else, deeper and thicker. It did not temper her rage, but seemed to be the source. It was pain—emotional, not physical. Pain from a wound greater than any weapon or jutsu could inflict. It was almost enough to make him sympathize—but as soon as he thought of that, his mind flashed back to Eliza and her father. He crushed it as quickly as he could. He would not sympathize with a monster like this.
"Hey!" he cried back. "I don't care what you say you're going to do! What you've done I'll never be able to forgive! We'll beat you, and anything you try to throw at us, you stupid bitch!" His shout rang loud in the cavern, echoing mightily, as if Naruto had filled the room with Kage Bunshin.
Naruto's friends stood up straighter at the ringing sound of their friend's voice. Courage boiled through their veins, and as his shout began to fade, they unsheathed weapons, and readied themselves in battle stances.
Undrig hefted his hammer onto his shoulder, and glared at the black reptile.
Linkizzle and Rurizzle removed their tiny swords from their sheaths, and placed their goggles firmly over their eyes.
Golbarn bent his knees, and shifted to the side, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes began to burn like kindling to create a mighty bonfire.
Kaine held his wartotem under one arm, and with the other made a fist and shook it at the dragon, his eyes reflecting the determination born from Naruto's friendship.
Gen'rash drew his knife of bone, and bared his teeth with feral eyes glinting in the fiery light of the cavern.
Fen cracked his brittle, almost completely skinless knuckles, and grinned. Myrdraxxis twirled Tuska and Poena in both hands, his yellow eyes mere pinpricks.
Neera was slowly turning her Sentinel's blade, breathing deeply with each revolution, eyes steadily focused on Onyxia.
Shandris seemed a trap ready to spring, with her Sentinel's blade in hand, eyes like blades in the sun.
Tsuwabuki lowered herself down, and began to growl low; she flattered her ears, and swished her tail, and readied herself to fight alongside her partner.
Onyxia responded by rearing to her full height, on only two legs. She stretched her wings out, each as long as a train car, and released from her mouth a roar that shook the earth. The cavern rumbled, and the lava flowing beneath the cracks glowed brighter and hotter than before. From the roar, a wave of killing intent washed over the group, temporarily turning their bodies to ice. But it was not the inhumanity of the roar—it was the emotion that flowed in it. It was an emotion that could only be generated by a mother who had lost her children—something that surprised even the hardest among them.
Onyxia began the battle with that roar, and suddenly lunged forwards. She moved with swiftness unbelievable for her size, reaching the gathered group within a second. Her claws flashed out, clawing through the stone floor, tearing up rock and causing molten rock to gush from the ground as if from a grievous wound. But she struck no flesh, of any sort—the group had scattered a fraction of a second before she had struck.
Kaine moved alongside the great dragon. He swung his totem back, but before he could think to start its forward movement, Onyxia's right claw blurred out, and bashed the tauren in the torso. Only the back of her claw struck him, generating a force great enough to turn rock to dust. He flew back, crashing into the smooth wall at the top of the slope, beyond the river of fire.
Undrig came up behind Onyxia, moving as fast as his small legs could carry him. Brandishing his hammer, the dwarf swung it several times into the dragon's hind leg, just below a large gash, where the scales were broken and the skin split and then burnt; where Benedictus had struck with his last available strength. But Onyxia did not react to the blows. They rained on her like a summer downpour, but they hurt as much as one too. She rid herself of the dwarfish nuisance with a swift sweep of her hind leg. Undrig was thrown back, a new dent in his armor appearing.
Onyxia moved around, her great tail swinging in a long arc. Gen'rash and Golbarn ducked beneath the whirling spiked whip, and moved towards her. Golbarn freed his blade from its sheath, mere feet from the dragon's body. It came out, like gleaming silver lightning, and struck the layered scales with enough force to cut rock.
But it didn't pierce.
His blade ricocheted back, the force traveling back into his arms, numbing them for a brief second. Onyxia took that time to turn and claw at the orc. But, in a flash, he was gone, disappearing beneath the ground into a pool of shadows. Gen'rash leapt out and pulled Golbarn along with him, behind Onyxia's great body. They quickly got out of the way.
"Doton: Tsuchidaigeki no jutsu!"
Onyxia twisted with unnatural speed at the boy's voice, just in time to see Naruto strike the earth with his palm. It surged and burst, like a bubble arising and popping in water, flinging debris towards her. Snarling, she beat the ground with her claw, causing a great, thick wall of dark stone to emerge in but a second, stopping the flying rocks easily. Naruto had little time to be surprised. Onyxia whipped around, and struck the earth wall with her tail. Instead of being destroyed, the wall morphed into hundreds of flying rock spears. They flew towards the blonde, who disappeared in a blur.
'Kazaashi!' The spears crashed into the earth, harming nothing but the cavern in a series of loud crashes.
'Ah,' thought Shandris, who had moved around behind Onyxia with Neera, Fen, Myrdraxxis and the Rizzle brothers, 'she is of Deathwing's brood, I suppose. They were once the keepers of the earth, so it would not be surprising for her to have such control over it.'
The members of the secondary attack did not attack. They would not, until they had sufficiently discovered her weakness. That was their job. It was as dangerous as the main attack team's job, however—for they had to judge when to aid. If they offered it without discovering a sufficient attack plan, it would put more of them at threat. If too late—then their allies would die.
"She protects herself," whispered Linkizzle, adjusting his goggles to the chakra-vision mode. "She uses her chakra to reinforce the strength of her scales; she focuses it all into a single point, where she is struck, for but an instant. And she has so much of it, and such control over it, that I can't even imagine how we'd be able to get in a hit. Her control is almost involuntary!"
"The old human did," rumbled Myrdraxxis. "Just wait and watch. It will come."
Kaine recovered slowly, spitting blood from his mouth and growling as he got to his feet. Onyxia was busy; she was currently swiping at Naruto and a recovered Undrig, who remained in front of her at all times, drawing her attention constantly. The dwarf was always in close, his hammer blurring through the air with each attack, but always repulsed by either her natural defense, or her own assault of claw, tooth and tail. Naruto was in and out; his speed was more than a match for Onyxia's, but even his sword of adamantium could not pierce her skin. But neither could keep the assault up for long.
So Kaine rushed in, a raging bull, raising his wartotem above his head. Onyxia twisted her head, spotting him, and sent her tail whipping towards him, like a sickle at the end of a beefy chain. Kaine swung his weapon down, atop the tail, smacking it deep into the earth with a loud crunching sound. In another movement, he trampled over it, and continued his attack on her body. This time, he struck true—the force of the blow caused Onyxia to stumble sideways, letting out a bellow of pain.
At the same time, Golbarn and Gen'rash attacked. Raising his blade high, Golbarn hissed "Mighty Cleave" and delivered a wicked strike to her side. Though it did not truly pierce, it drew a line down the scales, splitting a few individual surface scales but going no deeper. Gen'rash sucked in a breath, and exhaled a mighty cloud of inky black smoke, which flowed like a liquid, as if made from pure shadow. Gen'rash clapped his hands together into a complex seal, and the cloud began to disperse into a hundred frightening black, winged creatures that had no definite shape, as if they were the thoughts of an overactive child—they were birds one moment, bats the next; then bugs, and then miniature gryphons; then harpies, and chimaeras. They flew around the great black dragon queen, pecking, clawing, stinging and biting her; they made no sounds, for they were no living creatures.
Onyxia howled and struggled at these attempts to distract and harm her. Kaine delivered a second blow, very near the first. She stumbled to the side, and still being assaulted by Gen'rash's birds, twisted to face the tauren and the other members of the attacking team.
She roared; it was a bestial, wrathful sound, and almost enough to make her earlier words forgotten. The deep pain, for her children now long dead, was devoured by the awesome rage that began to take her. The once majestic eminence of the Black Dragonflight was lost now forever, as Onyxia let loose the primitive instincts of a monstrous beast, the last of her mind seemingly incinerated by heat of her wrath.
She then opened her mouth, wide as it could go, and took a deep, long breath. Her chest expanded, and she raised her head and body up, though her eyes remained focused on the group in front of her.
Naruto's suddenly widened, having seen the very same gesture used by Gyth and the drake he had battled outside.
"Get out of the way!" he cried.
They scattered, just as Onyxia vomited a massive stream of black and orange fire, thick and sludgy like molten lava. It exploded forth, like a boiling geyser, shooting straight towards its prey. The flames set the ground alight, and Onyxia waved her head, spreading it around her in a great arc. The flames were hotter than any imaginable—Undrig found this out when moving away from the sudden wall of fire; the flames leapt out, touching his gauntlet. Almost immediately, it became white hot, enough to make Undrig cry out and fling it off into the fire, where it turned into a pool of molten metal in but seconds.
The secondary attack team stood near the top of the slope, staring down at the inferno. Neera turned to Shandris.
"We need to help!" she cried, desperately. "They won't be able to last much longer, and we aren't being of any help just standing here!"
Shandris didn't speak. Her eyes were focused solely on Onyxia, and her mouth set in a firm line. She wanted to agree with Neera, and rush in to help; but something stopped her. They wouldn't achieve anything through brute force, not with a dragon. They needed to deal her a decisive blow, one that would finish her completely, not simply injure her. Tactics, not power, would win this fight. She knew that Naruto would play his part well, and keep the dragon occupied while they worked this out.
After all, that was the plan.
Still, she tried to push down the tendril of worry that crept through her, growing ever thicker and longer.
Naruto grunted as Onyxia leaped forward, smashing into the ground with enough force to shake the cavern; and at the same time, cause molten lava to erupt from the floor in great bursts. Golbarn, Gen'rash, Kaine and Undrig needed to dance about, avoiding the deadly geysers as well as the raining fire that came from them. Naruto covered himself in a shield of Kage Bunshin, not wishing to expend more stamina in using the Kazaashi.
Onyxia leaped again, straight towards where Undrig and Gen'rash now stood, side by side. Gen'rash jumped to the side, chakra speeding and strengthening the movement, while Undrig moved back. The dragon struck the ground in front of him, making it shake madly, but the dwarf did not fall. He instead lifted his hammer, and hurtled it upwards. It struck Onyxia between the eyes, hard, but not hard enough to make her do anything but flinch. And in response, the black dragon sucked in her breath and spewed a stream of fire atop the dwarf, engulfing him in flames hot enough to burn the devil himself.
"No!" Naruto roared, seeing his friend swallowed by fire. He found himself suddenly unable to move, and only stare at the pile of flames that had once been Undrig.
Onyxia roared in triumph, and turned, her terrible eyes gleaming with the joy of her first kill. She made to leap again, but suddenly stopped, turning back to the dwarf's apparent remains.
Amazingly, Undrig stood in the middle of the orange and black mass of liquid fire, surrounded by a golden, glowing aura of light. He suddenly vanished into the ground; and Gen'rash appeared beside Naruto, dragging the dwarf up with him from his shadow technique. The dwarf coughed and gasped, shaking all over. Naruto bellowed to him, relief making him shaky, if he was all right.
"Hot," the dwarf gasped, trying to stand.
Onyxia did not give them a chance for rest. She leaped upon them again, her steely claws flashing, her wings fully spread. Gen'rash lifted Undrig up by the waste, and jumped again. Naruto did so too, but not away from her. He held a hand out, and formed a swirling ball of chakra.
"Rasengan!"
Naruto flipped over the swipe of her claw and thrust the Rasengan into the dragon's chest, making it grind into the golden scales of her body. But for once, the incredible technique of the Fourth's did not work—Onyxia brought up her claw and knocked Naruto away, leaving only a slight tarnish on the scales. Naruto struck the ground on his back, ten yards away from Onyxia. He coughed and spluttered, the breath stolen from his lungs for a few seconds; then he wiped the blood from his mouth, and got back to his feet as quickly as he could.
"Lady Shandris…!" Neera said again, looking towards her friend and idol with terrible worry. "We need to—"
"Have faith," the older night elf hissed, stopping her again. "Just wait, he will find something. I know it. We can't attack at once, it will only increase the chances for casualty."
"Hmph," said Myrdraxxis, suddenly starting forwards. "Then stay and wait. I will fight—it's what I do best."
Before Shandris could protest, Myrdraxxis was gone, a ghost fading back to the world of the spirits.
Fen shook his head. "Didn't expect him to do that, you know. Someone's been having a bad influence on him, I think. I wonder if it's me or Naruto?" He glanced at Shandris' worried and angered expression. "Don't worry about it. We should settle on getting it right. This will only increase our chances, won't it?"
Shandris glared, but nodded anyways.
Kaine planted a fist, covered with blue-glowing chakra, into the ground in front of him.
He cried, "Summon: Windfury Totem!" and from the ground sprung a small totem, wooden and carved in the shape of an eagle with wings spread. Kaine felt like that eagle, soaring in mid-air as if he were lighter than the air; and with this new speed, he attacked again. He moved straight towards her back leg, where Benedictus had dealt his final blow. Onyxia, who was facing Golbarn and his drawn sword, did not turn, but instead beat the ground with her tail. Kaine's wartotem struck a wall of stone, not flesh, and blasted it apart. But Onyxia was gone before he could follow through; and in leaving, she struck out with her tail, hitting the tauren in the chest and throwing him across the cavern, again into the wall. She swept Golbarn aside with a quick flash of her tail.
Shandris noted this, but kept silent. It was still not the time.
Suddenly Myrdraxxis was there. He appeared like a spectre in the night, his blades flashing out and cutting into Onyxia's durable scales. His appearance was so sudden that she had no time to defend. His blades cut through the scales causing a spray of dark, boiling blood, and an ear-shattering roar from Onyxia, of pain and fury beyond fury. Her tail lashed out, pounding the ground on the spot Myrdraxxis had last occupied: on her left side between her front and hind legs. The pain caused by Myrdraxxis' enchanted daggers was amplified a hundred times over than a simple strike. It was no wonder why he had chosen their names to be as they were.
Myrdraxxis appeared again, this time on her other side, nearest her hind legs. His blades flashed out, striking her flesh—but they did not pierce. The ground suddenly surged beneath him, and but a second later he was air born, thrown up and away by a column of rock suddenly springing from the ground. He landed expertly, but as soon as he did, Onyxia's claws struck out, massive silver blurs, and nearly dismembered the Forsaken. He escaped by a sliver, but was wounded before he could. Emerald green ichor splattered the ground as her claws slashed through his chest. But he was gone before she could rip him in two.
Fen winced at his partner's injury. He wanted to join Myrdraxxis there, but he agreed with Shandris that he would only further complicate the situation. But he had seen something that he thought worthy of note.
"She uses the earth to sense, to feel her opponent coming and react to his presence, as much as to attack," he told Shandris, who glanced at him.
"I see," the night elf said, nodding. It made sense. It stood to reason that she could not be so quick otherwise. Such a massive beast had to have some sort of power that allowed to her swiftly react to attacks, before they even were performed. And with everyone blundering about on the ground, it would be exceedingly easy. She noted too, that Myrdraxxis had been able to wound her for a single reason—it was not that she had not reacted to his attack; it was that he had reacted far faster than she. He had gained the upper hand simply because he had combined surprise and speed into one blow, which had been more than Onyxia could manage.
But now that she was aware of Myrdraxxis' presence, she would not make the same mistake again. That meant that a surprise attack with the power to kill her would not work at this point, when only five members of the group had yet to attack, and none of those five could manage a sufficient stealth attack with enough lethal force to kill a fully grown dragon.
She bit her lip. She wondered how long they could manage to keep themselves out of the fight, now that Myrdraxxis had revealed himself.
With each failed attack, Naruto and his friends were getting more and more exhausted, yet Onyxia seemed an unending well of stamina. Naruto himself was far from done, but he knew that this fight could not last like this. It occurred to him how rare such a situation as this was—the Kyuubi was no longer by his side, and he had no help in controlling its power. By now, he would have undoubtedly used the demon's chakra, if only out of necessity. As hated as it was, Naruto couldn't help but wish he still had such a power.
He glanced up at Shandris and the other group. Onyxia had not attacked them yet, nor even seemed to have noticed them. That was good. But they still needed to find something that could be used against her. She seemed at the moment invincible, forged from diamond. Now Naruto had new respect for all those who had battled the Kyuubi long ago, when it had first attacked Konoha. It must have seemed invulnerable to them, too.
Onyxia suddenly turned; as if reading his thoughts, she swept around to face the secondary attack team. They prepared to scatter, but she did not attack. She stood stock still, staring at them.
Shandris found herself unable to look away from the dragon's eyes. She felt paralyzed. And then, Onyxia vanished, as did the cavern, her companions, everything. She was surrounded suddenly by an unbelievable darkness: thick as a steel wall and so oppressively close that she suddenly could not breathe. The encroaching veil of shadow wrapped around her, strangling and smothering her with its grip; she could not even scream, for the darkness was forcing itself down her throat like a vile cocktail, as it pulled her down into an icy, dark death.
But it was an illusion.
Linkizzle, Rurizzle, Fen and Neera were similarly stricken. The illusion had all of them in its grip, and so powerful was it that Onyxia had no reason to attack them in their weakness. They would die on their own, their minds convincing their bodies to stop functioning.
Tsuwabuki had managed to move out of range. She zipped away, near the perimeter of the cavern, and ran alongside the moat of fire until she came behind Onyxia, where Naruto and the rest of the primary attack squad had gathered. She ran up behind her partner, and informed him of what Onyxia was doing.
They struggled to throw off its effects, all the while cursing their choice of position. It had been foolish to stand where there was a chance of collateral damage, Shandris raged mentally, even as she struggled to free herself. She summoned all of her will, and began to slowly stop her chakra flow. By disrupting her chakra pathways, she could stop movement of the dragon's chakra through her. The illusion wavered, but it did not break; it was too powerful. It felt like trying to swim out of tar, and with each passing second, her body became slower and more exhausted. She was dying; all because she could not convince her body that it was not real.
Onyxia returned her focus to the main attackers, who saw the plight their allies were in. Biting back a curse, Naruto screamed to his friends, "Get them free! Now!" As his friends quickly responded, Naruto bit his thumb, and made a familiar string of hand seals. He then thrust his hand onto the hot ground.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he growled, from pain and desperation.
A cloud of smoke arose instantly, covering the blonde and expanding outwards to such a size that it could have obscured Onyxia herself. The dragon queen glared at the sudden appearance of the billowing fog; but suddenly she came to herself a second later, some of the animalistic rage driven back by sheer surprise.
What stood there was a horror that not many could imagine. It was as large as Onyxia, and possessed the same general shape and figure, but there the similarities ended. For, where Onyxia had layers of thick, black scales, this creature had only bone and ligaments. Where Onyxia had a heaving stomach and powerful muscular legs, this creature had a bare ribcage filled with cold mist, and legs nothing but grey bone, covered in a sheen of awful, cold light. Where Onyxia had ghastly wings, stretched with leathery skin, this creature had only the general structure, which looked like a pair of frightening weapons attached to its side, from which hung frosty, transparent skin, loose like hanging curtains. Where Onyxia had a tail, powerful and whip-like, this creature had a bony spiked club attached to a chain of bone. Where Onyxia had claws like steel, this creature had claws like ice. Where Onyxia had eyes filled with purple fire, this creature had sockets filled with the blue frost.
The frost wyrm, chief summon of Sylvanas' own undead contract, called Boreagos, chilled the boiling air with his awful roar.
"Who summons?"he boomed with a voice like an avalanche. He twisted his skeletal neck to spot Naruto, who stood between the undead dragon's wing appendages. "You? A mortal human? Ah! You are the one Lady Sylvanas spoke of." Before Naruto could even respond to this, the creature twisted its head back around, to face Onyxia, who had reigned her shock.
"YOU!" she cried, her thunderous voice shaking the ground once more. "VILE CREATURE! CORRUPTED, DEGENERATE SPAWN OF HELL! RETURN TO YOUR FROZEN WASTES, SCOURGE, AND LEAVE ME TO MY REVENGE!"
Boreagos' laugh crackled like breaking ice, making the air seem colder with each breath. He lowered his head and seemed to sneer at the living dragon counter to him. But even so, his words were to Naruto, not Onyxia. "You were wise, mortal human. I would normally demand payment for your summoning of me; but I detest the Black Dragonflight as much in death as I did in life. I shall fight with you free of charge—but remember in the future, child, that you will need adequate payment to use my services." Then, to Onyxia, he crowed. "Come then, whore of the Old Ones! Let us see if your fire can melt my ice!"
Onyxia responded by belching out a monstrous stream of her liquid flames. Boreagos laughed, spread his mighty wings, and leapt into the air. The loose skin, clear as ice, that hung from between the bones of his wings flapped, but captured no air. He did not fly, merely used his monstrous strength to lift himself high into the air. Naruto let out a shout of surprise as he flew up, looking down as Onyxia spread her wings and took after them, roaring madly at the insult. They clashed at the very top of the cavern, at the very center of the dome-shaped ceiling.
On the ground, the members of the main attacking team sought desperately to free their new allies from the grip of Onyxia's illusion. Gen'rash was doing it most effectively, using his chakra to stop the flow of theirs, and finally breaking them from the endless, strangling darkness. Neera dropped to the ground first, gasping in relief, clutching her breast over her heart, as if afraid that it might stop beating. Shandris freed herself next, and with but a moment's recovery, was up and helping to break the remaining three from the grip of Onyxia's illusion. Linkizzle and Rurizzle thanked the troll who freed them with silent, gasping words; but Fen seemed unfazed by the damage—after all, he did not breathe the same as the others.
When all were free, Shandris looked up, to where the two dragons, one living and one dead with a human upon its back, fought. She then glanced about her, to all the rest of her new companions—friends of Naruto, and former fellow Allies. Seeing them all in one place once more struck a cord within her.
"Yes…" she whispered. And as she looked at them, a plan began to form. She glanced ahead of her, to the forms that stood a little ways in front of her, all freed from the illusion. They still had a chance, she realized.
The cavern shook as Boreagos landed, striking the ground as hard as a meteor. The frost wyrm was laughing.
"Years has it been since I battled another dragon!" he screamed, words like falling ice. "I have tasted your fire—now taste my frost, whore!"
The frost wyrm roared shrilly, and took a massive breath. Upon exhaling, the staggering heat of the cavern dropped so quickly that it was almost painful. A stream of air, cold enough to freeze the very blood in a man's veins, burst from Boreagos' mouth, flying in a great, white cloud at the same speed Onyxia's molten breath did. Onyxia, still beating her great wings, met the stream with a blast of her own breath. They hit in mid-air, causing a great explosion of white steam. Onyxia stopped her attack, and swooped away suddenly, as a mass of solidified molten rock struck the ground. Boreagos laughed at this as well.
Naruto, meanwhile, had grafted his hands and feet to the exposed spine of the frost wyrm, and held tighter to it than a frightened cat to upholstery. He stammered protests to slow down, but the former dragon refused to listen. He moved as if Naruto were not on his back, which was exceedingly painful to the blonde, but no matter how hard he tried, the dragon did not acknowledge his presence.
A big mistake.
Boreagos flapped his vestigial wings and laughed in that shrill, horrible way of his, before launching himself at Onyxia, his icy claws stretched wide. The black dragon rose to her full height, and lashed out with her own steely talons, strong enough to shatter even the bones of the frost wyrm. Boreagos was quicker; lifting himself onto his hind legs, he lashed out with his claws, and before Onyxia could capture them with her own, they bit into her chest—or tried to. Instead of piercing the deep black scales, they glanced off, causing not even a slight mark; it seemed that even the claws of another dragon could not pierce her chakra reinforced hide. Onyxia pushed Boreagos back, and counterattacked with the gleaming blades given to her by nature. Boreagos blocked them, and the two stood, each trying to overpower the other.
It was then that Naruto decided to show the wild frost wyrm that underestimating him was a very bad thing to do.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
A hundred clones popped into existence at his words. They leapt upon Onyxia's back, suddenly, and their sudden appearance caused the black dragon to rear back. At the same time, the clones planted palms against the dragon's body, and gathered into them explosive, manipulated chakra.
"Kaenhira!" a hundred voices cried, as they released the built up bursts of chakra, suddenly engulfing Onyxia in a brilliant, great ball of fire and smoke, with multiple sounds of detonation suddenly filling the room. The dragon cried out in agony from the collective attack, flailing backwards, allowing Boreagos to push forward, and slam a set of claws into her breast. This time, they were true—they sunk beyond her scaly hide, and deep into her flesh. She toppled back, Boreagos throwing his full weight upon her as they fell. The Naruto clones scattered, leaving Onyxia still shrouded in smoke as she crashed to the ground.
"See, corrupted bitch! It seems my ice is stronger!" He twisted his skeletal neck, and glared at the Naruto the remained on his back, breathing heavily from exhausting so much chakra in one go. "Perhaps you are worthy after all, brat!"
"SILENCE."
Boreagos whirled his head back, and saw Onyxia's brilliant eyes, like daggers forged of purple jewel, staring back at him with teeth bared. He tried to twist away, but found that he could not move. Those his claws had pierced her seemingly invincible armor, they would not come out. Onyxia was holding them there, using only her chakra and tolerance for pain.
The frost wyrm did not seem at all perturbed. His amusement was rekindled, and he began to laugh as Onyxia sucked in her breath and spat a ball of fire the size of her head at Boreagos'. It quickly engulfed the frost wyrm's skull, and with the force of its flight, tore the head clean off its neck and into the air. It burst apart on the ceiling, flinging shards of bone in all directions.
Naruto gave a shout, and leaped away as Onyxia violently thrust the frost wyrm's body off of her. Its claws came free from her chest easily, and with a loud roar and some vehement flapping, she righted herself. The top half of her body seemed unaffected by Naruto's attack, and seemed only slightly tarnished by the compounded efforts of a hundred Naruto clones.
But Shandris' keen eyes told her differently. She suddenly knew what to do. She looked at Kaine, who smiled. She then made a hand seal.
At the very same time, Naruto noticed it as well. He grinned.
Now back on her feet, Onyxia snarled at the frost wyrm's headless, immobile body.
"FOOL," she said. "A SHADOW SUCH AS YOURSELF CAN NEVER MATCH THE POWER OF A TRUE DRAGON."
The headless body moved at her words, and seemed to shake with silent laughter. Behind him, the fragments of what once had been his skull began to congregate into a single pile of scorched bone, which resembled nothing more than a pile of coal. It began to take shape, becoming more and more like it once was. The black faded away, becoming a cold gray, like the color of steel, and slowly returned to the skull of a blue dragon, which began to laugh as soon as it could move its jaws.
"Ha!" Boreagos bellowed. "So the whore can fight in her own territory! I am most impressed. Brat!" he directed this at Naruto, "Perhaps we will fight together again in the future…but remember my words."
Both the skull and the body vanished at that instant, in whirling puffs of white smoke. Naruto now stood facing Onyxia alone. His hair was matted with sweat, and his clothes clung to his body. He freed Magni's Pride from its sheath, and held it out in front of him, at the ready.
'Shandris has a plan,' sent Tsuwabuki.
Naruto nodded. "Got anything to do with what I'm thinking?"
'Very much,' the fox retorted, and went silent.
Naruto grinned, and summoned a group of clones. They stood by him, on either side, mirroring his stance as he stared into Onyxia's flaming eyes. The dragon did not seem bothered by the new wound in her chest; she was too far gone, too far drawn in by the bestial instincts given to her by the ancient corruption of her Dragonflight. She folded her wings, and began to stalk towards the blonde, like a monstrous panther having cornered its prey. She noticed his friends behind her. She could smell them, stinking of blood and sweat, and most prominently, the blood of her minions. But she could also feel them, through the earth around her. There movements were so clunky and easy to read.
She knew their plan; she had been around far too long to be taken in by such an obvious tactic. They would attack all at once, now. But she did not care—let them, she sneered. They would come, and they would die. But she would start with this boy—this little brat who could summon frost wyrms and gave off a stench so vile that it sickened her. It was human, so disgustingly human that she knew now why her brother hated her visits so. She had never noticed their stench when she had taken their form. She would not eat this boy, she decided—she would rip him to shreds, and burn each shred separately. She would keep him alive as long as she could.
Because, out of all of these miscreants, this one stank of the creatures who had killed her children. He stank of the past—a horrible, revolting past that she would end here. With this boy's death, and all the rest, she would make her children's screams finally stop. And then she would be at peace.
And then, she would join her brother once more.
She smacked the ground with her tail. It shook, and from it columns of liquid fire arose, shooting out in mighty streams. She stomped her foot, and the earth grew up in massive walls around her and Naruto. The blonde did not seem bothered by this. He and his doppelgangers simply stared back at her, with the same powerful glare. It was a disgusting look, and Onyxia resolved to remove it from his face before she killed him.
Behind her, Shandris watched as Onyxia stalked towards Naruto, gradually creating a prison as she went. She glanced about her. They would strike now—everyone was ready.
Kaine hefted his wartotem, and wiping blood from a wound in his cheek, he began to perform a jutsu.
Linkizzle and Rurizzle sheathed their swords, and readied hand seals as well.
Golbarn held his blade out, clutching it tightly with both hands.
Undrig slung his hammer onto his shoulder.
Gen'rash held his knife of bone, which glowed dark red.
Neera whirled her Sentinel's blade in hand, her lip firm and set.
Fen grinned at Myrdraxxis, who stared forwards, his blades bared.
Shandris nodded at all of them, and began to run; with them by her side, each step she took. The first wall they encountered, they leaped over, as easily as one leapt over a garden fence. The second was just as simple, even though it was higher than the last. Onyxia lay beyond two more earthen walls, and had nearly reached Naruto himself.
Naruto stood defiantly, as Onyxia neared him. Her breath was hot and foul, stinking of blood and brimstone. It had widened into a gaping, terrible smile full of dagger teeth from which a long, forked tongue—like a snake, writhed out. The violet suns contained in her skull glared down at him with hate beyond hate—an emotion that words could never do justice.
Naruto's companions scaled the final wall, and fell down upon Onyxia with all their might. In that moment, Onyxia attacked; she rammed her claws deep into the ground, and the walls of earth around her exploded in a monstrous cloud of debris. The force of the shockwave was so great that even though in her mid-air, Naruto's companions were thrown back, in all directions across the cavern. Naruto himself was flung back, his clones following him with cries of surprise and dismay, but he regained himself with a burst of chakra from his feet, lighter than air, which sent him careening back to the earth; to which he fastened himself to using one of the first control techniques he had ever learned.
When the sounds died down, Onyxia glanced around, her mouth twisted into a devil's grin. His companions lay in shambles around her cavern—unconscious or barely moving. This fight had been won, she knew, as she lumbered towards Naruto again, her tail swinging around violently behind her, her eyes growing madder by the second as she neared him, and inhaled his stench once more.
But then she saw his eyes, so confident and determined; and then felt a tremor through the earth, slight, but enough to alert her.
She glanced around again. Naruto's friends were gone, and only the remnants of their being were several curling puffs of smoke.
And then she felt them, so quickly and suddenly that even as she started to react, they had already struck.
Kaine's wartotem slammed into her hind leg, straight upon the gash created by Benedictus. Pain burst into being in her leg, and as Onyxia started to cry out, rearing up, another attack struck her.
Gen'rash, clutching his knife of bone, which now glowed crimson, sank it into her other leg, discharging its deadly effects into her body. Though nowhere near potent enough to affect her entire being, it did not matter—her leg was enough. The Hex of Weakening blossomed through her other leg, and unable to bear the full weight of her immense body, broke so suddenly that Onyxia was falling before she had even felt the pain.
Then, two strikes hit her on each side. Myrdraxxis returned; his blades engulfed with chakra the color of her eyes. It surrounded both Tuska and Poena, and lengthened both blades by at least a foot. He plunged his blades into her side, and violently cut to both sides. They pierced deep into her body, through the thin layer of chakra that she had thrown up in defense, but not enough to enter her organs. They sliced muscle, and send waves of agonizing pain throughout her body.
Fen's attack hit her other side; the Forsaken mage planted his glowing hands onto her scaly body, and discharged from them a sudden burst of chakra, in the form of an arcane blue light, shouting gloriously, "Arcane Explosion!" The jutsu burst forth, shattering a great deal of the first two layers of scales on her side, and making her writhe sideways.
But even after all this, the attacks did not stop. They began before the previous attacks had even finished. Undrig appeared by her right front claw, his hammer swung back in preparation for a powerful attack. With a murderous cry of "Hammer of Justice!" the dwarf swung his weapon, wreathed in golden light, into the dragon's leg, right at the joint. It shattered scales and sent a burst of chakra through her iron-strong bones. But despite their strength, her body was already off-balance. She had already divided her chakra so much to protect against the other attacks; and so pained and stunned was she that it was near impossible to mould chakra with enough certainty as to protect against an attack. To be sure, the thin layer she used to strengthen her bones and scales against Undrig's attack did absorb damage—but all they truly did was stop her bones from being blasted into shards, rather than simply snapped. She buckled sideways.
Neera and Shandris appeared on her other side, throwing their blades with the greatest accuracy. One a mere sliver of light, the other a deadly star covered in chakra, bit into Onyxia's flesh. Again, they bypassed her flimsy barrier, weakened by so many simultaneous attacks. One severed the tendons in her leg; the other did not quite cut her leg bone in two, but weakened it so much that she could not bear her weight upon it. She fell forwards.
And to add to her helplessness, the gnomes arrived, one on each side of the fallen dragon. Thrusting their hands onto the ground, the two brothers shouted as one: "Great Iron Claws!" In front of them, the ground burst up and there appeared two great, iron rectangular columns, as tall as two men, each studded with wicked-looking spikes on one side. The giant metal structures suddenly bent forwards, on hinges exposed slightly above the earth, and slammed upon Onyxia's flailing wings, pinning them amidst her pained roars to the ground.
Her tail lashed up, suddenly, ready to hammer the ground and destroy them with what power she had left. But she could not, for as it rose, Tsuwabuki appeared. The silver fox sunk her sharp, chakra-enhanced claw into the dragon's tail, right at the starting point. Tsuwabuki sliced back and forth, her extended claws slicing through the bone, made weaker by the remnants of Gen'rash's hex, and severed the bone that allowed the tail to move. It fell limp and dead, and Onyxia screamed all the more at it.
She stared forwards, unable to do anything else. She saw Naruto standing there. The blonde was clutching a glowing ball of chakra, and a clone stood by him, slowly gathering more and more chakra into it. The spinning ball began to change in size and color, darkening until it was almost red. The clone was straining mightily, and so was Naruto.
Seeing the clone, Onyxia suddenly realized what had happened.
No! It couldn't be true!
They had tricked her!
It all fell into place. Those whom she had attacked with her illusion hadn't been real! They had been doppelgangers, similar to this! And the ones whom she had supposedly defeated with her last attack were the same! It was why she had been unable to detect that Forsaken—he hadn't simply entered the fight from the sides, he had been hidden, along with all the rest, and had used that to his advantage!
Shandris had chosen well. Naruto had been the one to suggest the idea—the secondary attack group would remain hidden like last time, but Naruto would use clones, transformed by Henge no jutsu, to replace them. They would still not attack, but Onyxia would have no idea whether they were real or not, because she would be too busy with the others. She had still managed to affect the real group with her illusion, but Naruto had thought quickly, and distracted her with summoning Boreagos. It had been Shandris' split second decision to have all of them attack—sending all of the clones (some provided by Kaine), while the true attackers grouped together, hidden by her jutsu, and waited for the perfect opening.
A remarkable strategy, Shandris thought, which had gone splendidly.
Onyxia began to howl. She howled with everything she had, and made the earth rage around her. Naruto began to run at her. The Rasengan in his grip was distorting and growing, filled with a mix of his own, and the dangerously unstable Kyuubi's chakra. The clone was gradually controlling, while he slowly let some of the chakra trickle in to the spinning sphere. But it was only half the technique Naruto intended, as he rushed towards Onyxia, his eyes forward, his teeth grit, and triumph in his heart.
He would let her know the pain she had caused all of Stormwind, with this last blow.
Onyxia was screaming, and her words could be felt in the earth around her. Each one was filled with the utmost desperation and pain—half of her had accepted her death, but the other half was now fighting furiously to free herself; a captured animal fighting against its captors until it is finally put down. The effect was pitiful—she sounded mad beyond coherency, and as terrified as a wounded puppy.
"BROTHER!" she wailed, so horribly that one could almost see tears in her eyes. "BROTHER! HELP ME! HELP ME, PLEASE! I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE! PLEASE, BROTHER! PLEASE! PLEASE, SAVE ME!"
Her words ended as Naruto leaped up, and slammed the glowing ball, not into her face, but straight into the back of her neck. He leaped over her, as she could do nothing but turn her eyes up, and see the blonde in a different light. The blonde's eyes followed her all the way back, before he struck down with his attack.
Naruto suddenly released the floodgates. He let a massive surge of the Kyuubi's chakra loose from beneath the seal, only giving it a direction, as the Rasengan ground away her scales.
"Ookokuha Rasengan!"
The Rasengan grew in size, swelling up like a massive water balloon, the inside full of fiery chakra. It grew until Naruto's control was not enough. Then it burst—exploding in every direction in a massive whirling blast of red, black, blue and white chakra. The terrible force of the attack shook the cavern, and flung everyone around the dragon back with a great blast of wind. It tore the ground asunder, as it ripped completely through Onyxia's body, decapitating her. The force was so strong that not even Naruto could bear it—he was flung away from its origin, as the chakra expended itself in obliterating the earth around and beneath Onyxia's body—as well as the body itself. For a moment, the cavern echoed with the roaring of earth being destroyed, and chakra spinning like a great tornado, until it was all gone.
Before the Rasengan annihilated her neck and ended her time in this world, Onyxia recalled Naruto's face, and his eyes. She could not quite recall what she had seen in them. But it hadn't been hatred, like she had expected. It had been something else; something that she couldn't explain, because it made no sense.
As she died, and her brain began to shut down, everything suddenly went silent. The howls of wind and the sound of breaking rock disappeared; the rumbling of the earth, all around her—the sounds of molten lava rushing through hidden canals and brushing against rock; the sound of falling stone, and the last ringing cry of her destroyer, all gone.
Even the sounds of her screaming children vanished. They simply were gone, like that, and with their absence something filled her.
A glorious peace, a serenity that she had never known in her life as a member of the Black Dragonflight—something that she had never felt, and yet knew exactly what it was, from the very moment it came to her.
She laughed, as the feeling washed over her.
And not even the last images she saw—that of her brother's smoldering orange eyes, glaring at her with disgust and hate, could rupture the feelings that she now felt.
Onyxia, daughter of Deathwing the Destroyer, died in absolute peace, released from the corruption that had been thrust upon her before she had even been born.
Released, finally, from the torture that only a mother can know.
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High atop a mountain, far across the world, sitting upon a throne made of black iron, a man sat, staring upon at the red sky with eyes like burning coal. He was listening to the earth, which passed along to him a plea from someone far away from him.
"Disgusting, Sister. Go Quickly To Your Death, To Spare Me From Your Final Whines."
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Done.
Wow. I didn't know I had that in me.
Hope you enjoyed it, and everything was clear to you. I hope that I kept you in suspense until the very end! For those of you who may have had suspicions of Naruto's plan, then good job, you're very good readers!
Sorry about the lateness—been doin' lots of stuff this weak, and I didn't want to rush such an important chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!
Seeya guys next week!
General Grievous
Thanks Frankto for the translation!
My brother got lazy this week, so I checked it myself, hopefully it's up to quality nonetheless. Give him props anyways, since he probably has his own stuff to do that doesn't warrent interruption. Ahh, high school! How I'll miss you!
Spellbook
Ookokuha Rasengan (Great Dark Wave Spiral Bullet)- Fills the Rasengan with an enormous amount of demonic chakra, great enough to burst and cause extreme damage to the opponent, at the cost of damage to own person.
Bestiary
Onyxia (Dragonkin)(Boss)- Queen of the Black Dragonflight, Onyxia possesses a vast range of incredible abilities—she can, for example, control earth to an extreme degree, seeing as how she is daughter of Deathwing the Earth Warder. She possesses powerful illusion weaving abilities, and can make herself almost invincible using her chakra to empower her scales. She can fly, is immensely fast due to her ability to sense vibrations through the earth, and possesses a cruel streak that only her brother, Nefarian, could match.