Okay, i knew i wouldn't be able to hold out long with this chapter written. XD Allow me to put you in suspense before you start reading it.
WARNING: This chapter contains plenty of emotion, drama, the blood that makes this a T rated story (Even though it's not much, just enough to make me not comfortable leaving it K+.) and an angry Gingka in the end AN.
Now that i've made you intensely curious as to what happens in this chapter, go. Satisfy your curiosity. XD I'll be awaiting the reviews.
The group's eyes widened in shock.
"K-kill?!" Masamune yelped.
Ryo nodded. "You'd have to. They won't be using beys for one thing, and they won't hesitate to kill you. If you're going to rescue Gingka, you'd have to kill Darklings, and i can't let any of you get killed. You're not going."
"But what if they kill Gingka?" Kenta asked.
Ryo sighed. "We can only hope that they haven't, and won't. It would take a whole army of shifters to break him out of there, and unfortunately i doubt that the shifter leader would risk a whole army for the life of one half-breed shapeshifter."
"Ryo…?" Setsuna sounded slightly frightened.
"What?" Ryo whirled, only to see Pegasus glowing blue in Setsuna's hand.
"It's trying to move or something." Setsuna said slowly.
Ryo's eyes widened. "He's alive. Quickly, put it on the ground and give it a slight spin."
Setsuna obeyed, flicking her wrist sideways and setting Pegasus on the ground, causing it to spin slowly. The silver and blue bey quickly sped up, igniting into blue flames. Everyone stood back as it circled in a tight ring, gaining rotation speed, before darting off and leaping up a tree, soaring high into the air, undoubtedly at its master's call.
"What is this?!" Guro shouted, entering the dungeon rooms to taunt his prisoners and finding Gingka completely shrouded in blue flames.
"You should not be able to emit this much energy! Those chains should be absorbing it!"
Gingka smirked as he opened his eyes to reveal that they too were glowing blue.
"This isn't shapeshifting energy. It's a different kind altogether."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Little something that i did for years on earth before i ever found out i was a shapeshifter. You have no knowledge of it, but with it, you won't be able to beat me."
"Gingka…" Madoka gasped.
Kyoya grinned. "Leone!"
"Pegasus!" Gingka called, as an explosion blew through the roof, letting the sunlight in from outside.
"Look!" Ryo said, pointing as a steady stream of darklings rose into the sky and spread out, having been sent flying by a huge explosion.
Gingka's friends suddenly yelped and scrambled for cover as an ear-splitting roar echoed through the air. An enormous blue eastern-style dragon with red fur around its head slithered into the air, breathing fire and ice in every direction.
"What is that?!" Masamune wailed. Everyone looked at Ryo expectantly.
"That… Is Gingka." Ryo replied as the dragon began arching through the air towards them.
"Gingka?!" Most of the group freaked out, while the rest stared in shock.
Gingka arched overhead with a roar, as Kyoya, Madoka, and Zero's group slid off and landed safely on the ground. Gingka then dove into the ground, his entire dragon's body turning into a bright white light before he tuck-and-rolled forwards dramatically in human form, then stood, panting and grinning at the expressions on the faces of the surrounding group.
"Okay, now you've got a lot of explaining to do." Chris said.
Gingka chuckled. "Later. We've got an invasion of earth to stop first."
"What do we do? They're already there." Madoka asked.
"We go there. You guys stay here, i have to handle this. Some of those darklings from their base will probably attack here as well." Gingka said.
"You're not going alone." Madoka stated.
"I have to. No other shifters will likely come, especially not with those darklings attacking here." Gingka replied, creating a portal to earth.
Madoka placed a hand on Gingka's arm.
"I can't let you go alone. I'm coming too."
Gingka sighed and turned to face the brunette. "Madoka, i can't let you come. You could get killed."
"So could you." Madoka retorted.
"That's a risk i have to take."
"Gingka, i can't let you do that." Madoka whispered, a few tears forming in her eyes.
"You can't stop me." Gingka stated calmly.
"I don't know what i'd do if you got killed…" Madoka said.
Gingka hugged the brunette. "I won't get killed. I'll make it back."
Madoka began crying. "Don't go… Please…"
Gingka sighed and pulled away slightly, tilting Madoka's chin up so that she was looking at him.
"I'll make it back. I promise." he said seriously, locking eyes with the brunette.
"I love you…" Madoka whispered.
Gingka smiled. "I know." he replied as he leaned down and kissed Madoka gently.
As the shifter pulled away, Madoka reached up to touch her lips in shock.
"You just…"
Gingka smiled sadly. "Just in case i don't make it back. I love you too, Madoka."
"Don't go!" Madoka wailed as the redhead turned, pulling himself away from her, and leapt through the portal, closing it before she could reach it.
"Madoka…" Ryo wrapped his arms around the brunette comfortingly, allowing her to sob into his shirt.
"Come at me, if you dare!" Gingka challenged as he appeared on the earth, shifting into dragon form with a roar. Frightened people in cities that were already being attacked screamed as the half-breed shifter arched overhead, swallowing the small in comparison darklings by the dozen.
"Hey, halfbreed!"
Gingka whirled, roaring, to face Guro. However, once he saw the other shifter, he froze, eyes widening.
"You know what this is, don't you?" Guro smirked, patting a large crossbow that stood next to him. A dark arrow with a twisted-looking tip was set into it, ready to be fired at a moment's notice.
Gingka snarled in reply.
"Yet you don't dare do anything that would make me fire it."
Gingka roared.
"No, we both know that you won't risk death so easily. After all, Black Arrows are the only thing that can really pierce a dragon's scales, and i happen to have exactly that right here. If you try to kill me, i will fire it. You know that neither flames nor ice will stop it from reaching you."
Gingka growled.
"And don't you dare move either. If you try to shift, i'll shoot. If you try to kill any more darklings, i'll shoot. If you try to do anything whatsoever, you'll die. In fact, i might as well just kill you where you are."
Gingka roared.
"Oh, wouldn't i? Watch me." Guro cackled, firing.
Gingka roared and tried to dodge, breathing a quick burst of fire and ice as he did so. Guro screamed in pain as he was enveloped in the flames and instantly burnt to a crisp. Gingka, however, after dodging the first arrow, was struck by a second from another building. The halfbreed shifter roared in pain and spiraled out of control, crashing to the ground and shifting back to human automatically.
Just as Gingka reached the ground, another portal opened up in the air, and dozens of shifters in the forms of giant eagles streamed out of it.
"Darklings are everywhere, and i see their portal, but where's Gingka?" Madoka asked as she flew overhead on Setsuna.
The eagle woman screeched in response, circling and looking for her son.
"There!" Madoka pointed as she caught a glimpse of red hair.
Setsuna circled around and landed, shifting to human form and staring in shock as soon as she did so.
"No… Gingka!" Madoka cried, rushing to the redhead's side.
"A Black Arrow…" Setsuna breathed, catching sight of the now-smaller weapon sticking menacingly out of Gingka's lower ribcage. It had shrunk greatly in size as Gingka had shifted down, but still held all of its menacing character.
"What does that mean?" Madoka asked fearfully.
"It is the only weapon that can pierce a dragon's scales. Judging by the small size of this one, he was in dragon form when he got hit." Setsuna replied, kneeling down and lifting Gingka's head into her lap, ignoring the pool of blood surrounding him and staining his clothing.
"Gingka, can you hear me?!" Madoka whispered fearfully.
Gingka made a low moan and coughed weakly, wincing as he opened his eyes.
"Madoka… I'm sorry…"
"Stay with me, Gingka. Please." Madoka sobbed, grabbing Gingka's hand and pressing it against her heart.
Gingka reached slowly up with his other hand and caressed the brunette's cheek with it, swiping away the tears.
"Don't… cry…" he whispered, smiling sadly at her.
"I can't help it…" Madoka sobbed, squeezing Gingka's hand tightly.
"Madoka… I won't... leave you… I promise…" Gingka said, his voice growing weaker. He then whistled something, only to Setsuna, who nodded in response.
"Madoka, we need to leave." the shifter female said.
"I can't leave him… I can't…" Madoka sobbed.
"Madoka… Please… Just go, i'll... be fine…" Gingka moaned as his skin began to glow orange and his body heated up.
"No…" Madoka sobbed.
"Now!" Setsuna shouted, forcing Madoka to pull away from Gingka and dragging the poor girl around the nearest corner. The shifter shielded Madoka with her wings as Gingka burst into flames and exploded.
"No!" Madoka screamed.
Gingka: You actually did it?! I don't believe this!
Me: Shut up, pony boy. I needed a good plot twist.
Gingka: Why not just have me defeat all the darklings easily?! Why doesn't that work?!
Me: Because that's PREDICTABLE. Predictable doesn't get shocked reviews. Evilly unpredictable does. Now shut up.
Gingka:-goes to sit in emo corner- You're mean...
Me: I know. Yes, everyone, i actually did it. Gingka's dead. Next chapter is the last. I'm aware that i'm an 'evil little authoress' as Yami likes to put it. See you next chapter! XD