Otherworld4: 9-The Black Dragon



Chapter 9 - The Black Dragon


As if in answer to Shun's words, another Dragon's scream came down from the heavens. High above them a black speck circled. Then it dropped toward them at incredible speed, quickly forming into a Black Dragon. Bya moaned audibly. Exactly what he had been afraid of! One of the older dragons had awakened!

	The Dragon settled on a crag looking down on them. Nearly three times as large as either Kyo or Shun, he was glossy black with wings that would have spanned across the entire Castle of Otherworld. Shun transformed into his Dragon form, but did not take flight.

Aara put a hand on Kyo's arm, hoping to restrain him from transforming. "Kyo, please remember Vara. You said you loved her." Kyo looked into Aara's eyes and sighed, "I try to, Princess. But then the blood lust takes hold and I remember nothing but this terrible need to fight and win the female." He pulled away from her and changed into his Dragon form. Kurama quickly pulled the Princess away from the huge red wings and took her to stand near the Tower with the others. Shun and Kyo seemed to be allying against the Black Dragon and they advanced at the same time, circling around so that they could flank him. But the Black Dragon was not waiting for that to happen. He swiftly moved toward Shun, fangs barred and claws extended. Kyo advanced on the other side, looking for an opening. Without warning, a huge black tail slammed into him, sending him into the nearby rocks. The rocks pulverized when he hit them, sending up little geysers of dirt. But as Kyo got shakily to his feet, there were splotches of blood on his scales.

	At almost the same instant that his tail took out Kyo, the Black Dragon sunk his fangs into Shun and the smaller dragon screamed his pain. But the bite was not well positioned, and although painful, it was far from fatal. Even so, it was obvious that the two younger, smaller Dragons did not have a chance against the much larger, more experienced Black Dragon. But until Kyo and Shun gave up or were fatally wounded, the fight would continue. Their need to procreate would force them to battle to the death.

The three Dragons circled each other, looking for an opening. The sunlight danced on their colored scales. Shun's green scales gleamed with an iridescent hue, from dark green to the yellow-green of his underbelly. Kyo was fiery scarlet with a golden underbelly. And the Black Dragon was entirely glossy black. If it had not been for the life-and-death struggle being played out, they would have been beautiful. "Stop this! Please stop this!" Startling everyone, Jae ran out of the Tower, heading right into the middle of the three Dragons. But they could not hear her small voice in the midst of their growls and roars, and did not see the danger she was in.

	Raike was the closest to her and he ran after her. Shun had his back to her, oblivious to her plight, and lashed his razor-sharp tail in anticipation of the battle. It swung directly towards the girl. She screamed and froze in terror. In that split second between life and death, Raike leapt forward and pushed the girl onto the ground, saving her life -- but forfeiting his own. The tail sliced him open from sternum down, splitting the boy nearly in half. A look of surprise passed over his face and then he spit out bright red blood, and crumbled to his knees.

Into the fray, a Blue Dragon appeared, standing over both the girl and the boy. Bya had been a second too late to save the boy, but he could protect his daughter. Seeing the she-Dragon in peril stopped the fight instantly. The Black Dragon retreated to nearby rocks and Kyo and Shun transformed into their human forms. Bya followed suit. "What happened?" Kyo asked, and then saw the bloody body on the ground. Aara and the group rushed to Raike's side, but there was little they could do. The boy was in the last moments of his life. "No! Oh, Raike, no!" the Princess cried, and held his bloody hand tightly. "How did this happen?" Kyo asked again.

	"Shun almost hit Jae with his tail and Raike saved her at the cost of his own life." Kurama told him. "I did this?" the Green Dragon asked, his voice faltering and his face gone white. "No, I couldn't have…"

He stood over the dying boy, tears springing to his eyes. "I never meant to harm…" He hung his head in sorrow and shame. Raike was struggling to hold onto life, but his body was too damaged. There was nothing anyone could do, except watch the boy die. Tears ran down Aara's face as she tried to send him peace and comfort in his last moments. And then the hand that Aara was holding went limp as Raike took his final breath. Silence filled the valley of the White Tower until Shun suddenly went to his knees next to Raike's body.

	"I will not take an innocent life!" Shun cried, and he picked up the broken body, holding it tightly to himself. A halo of green light appeared around Shun, and then expanded to fill the area and both he and Raike disappeared in its brilliance. "No!! Shun! No!!" screamed Kyo.

Kurama pulled Aara away from the light, not sure what Shun was doing. It was only a minute or two, but each second seemed like an eternity, until the green light disappeared. On the ground lay one body, not two. It was Raike, but his hair was now a vivid green. "What happened?" Kyo knelt beside the boy and picked him up. His eyes were full of sorrow, "Shun merged his essence into Raike so that he would live again. The two have become one." "Shun gave his life for Raike?" Aara said whispered, then asked. "How much of each boy is left?" "I do not know. I have only heard of this from the ancient tales, but I have never seen it done. I am going to take him to Suzaku. Raike's human body will go through changes as Shun's essence is assimilated completely. Vara will watch over him." "Shall I send Kaiba?" Aara asked. "No. There is nothing to be done for him. Only time will heal." Kyo turned to Bakura. "Can you open a portal to Suzaku" The mage nodded and created the portal. "Kyo, are you alright?" Aara asked the Dragon before he stepped into the portal.

	"There is no need left in me. Shun's sacrifice erased it. The blood lust is completely gone." Aara looked into Kyo's red eyes and saw the clarity in them and nodded. Kyo stepped into the portal with Raike/Shun and disappeared.

"I wonder if he thinks he won." Kurama mused, looking at the Black Dragon preening on the rocks. "We've got to do something!" Aara said her voice grim. "Either he will try to claim his prize or other Dragons will come and there will be even more bloodshed. But what can we do?" "I have an idea." Taiki said, and the young Unicorn took Jae's arm and led her into the Tower.