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trademarks belong to Nintendo. The story, its original contents and ideas, and
any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted
without the author’s permission.
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Back to the
Beginning…
By Gregory Stephen/nightdragon0 (nightdragon0@hotmail.com)
Flight of Dragons,
Soar in the purple light.
In the sky,
Or in my mind?
Flight of Dragons,
Sail past reality
Leave illusions behind
Is it the past I see?
When I look up to the
heavens
Believing in the magic
that I know could never be
I want to go where they
are going, into the world they’ve been
Can I open up my eyes
enough to see?
Flight of Dragons,
Heavenly odysseys.
Catch the wind,
Rise out of sight.
Flight of Dragons,
Pilots of fantasy.
In the sky,
Or in my mind?
Flight of Dragons…Flight
of Dragons…
--Theme Song, ‘The Flight
of Dragons’
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Flashback…
A slight shaking drew Kris Invorce away from
the fading word of the song, and also from her sleep.
She was an Asian girl of 18, with short,
night-black hair. Somewhat tomboyish in nature, she was dressed in black jeans
and a blue T-shirt. Over it was a black jacket and on her hands a pair of
fingerless gloves.
“Hmmm? Nightslice? What is it?” She asked,
pulling her sunglasses off and sitting up.
Her companion, a red armored Scizor known as
Nightslice, pointed with one of his pincers. A brown haired boy was jogging
towards them, waving his hand.
“Hey! Are you a trainer? Wanna battle?”
“Won’t mind.” Kris nodded, pulling herself to
her feet. “But just one-on-one. Ready Nightslice?”
The Scizor gave his confirmation by snapping
into his battle stance. It was a wide open grassy field with only several trees
and a large clump of bushes nearby. A prefect spot for a battle.
“All right! Then I’m going with Typhlosion!”
The boy called, letting loose the fire Pokemon.
Predictable enough. Kris thought.
“Typhlosion, Flamethrower!”
Nightslice stood calmly as the stream of fire
rocketed towards him and at the last moment, twisted his body and stepped
aside, letting the stream pass right by him.
“Nicely done.” Kris told him.
“Flamethrower again!”
Once again, Nightslice dodged the fire
attack.
“Go!” Kris ordered.
In the blink of an eye, Nightslice had
cleared the space between himself and his opponent. Using Metal Claw, he
smashed both his pincers against his opponent’s chin, sending the Typhlosion
rolling backwards.
“Wow…” The boy muttered. “But we can match
that! Fury Swipes!”
“Take him on! Agility!”
Typhlosion charged and begun swiping
furiously with his claws. Nightslice parried the first few attacks, and then
took to dodging left and right. Frustrated, Typhlosion tried a Headbutt, which
Nightslice somersaulted over, throwing a two-footed kick to his opponent’s back
in the process.
Nightslice snarled, landing and striking an
intimidating pose.
“Nightslice, Double Team!”
Responding instantaneously, his form split
into several mirror images, encircling the startled Typhlosion.
“Don’t be fooled Typhlosion! Send Swift at
all the images! It’ll find the real one!”
The Typhlosion did as he was told, throwing
the star-shaped projectiles in all directions. One by one, the images were hit
and vanished.
“Huh?!” The trainer gasped once the last
image was gone. “Where’s the real one?!”
“Look up.” Kris grinned.
“What the?!”
Up in the air was Nightslice, wings spread,
descending towards his opponent at an astonishing pace.
(The screen goes black and a single slash
appears across it.)
Nightslice calmly landed and folded his arms,
facing his back towards his opponent as the Typhlosion collapsed.
Kris and Nightslice gave each other
high-fives as the defeated trainer ran over to his Pokemon’s side.
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“Another typical trainer.” Kris muttered,
watching the boy run off. “How I wish I could be like you at times.”
Nightslice scanned the area, making sure
there was on one else around. Then, he spoke, and did so in human language.
“I wish I could be a typical Pokemon too.”
“It’s hard sometimes.” Kris agreed,
unsheathing a Katana strapped to her side.
It was a beautiful design, a well-made blade
with a black and red handle in the shape of a dragon.
“Knowing I’m not fully human, but part
Scyther as well. Knowing I was part of a series of genetic experiments…or
accidents considering it.”
Kris’ eyes reflected that fact, being a light
tint of blue and very Scyther-like. With speed and precision not possible of
any human, she leapt up a nearby tree, branch by branch, and sliced an apple
off the highest point.
“You have it easy comparing to the fact that I’m
descended from an evil Dragon God.” Nightslice replied.
“Whom we destroyed, seemingly a long time ago.”
Kris reminded him. “Well, with everything that’s been happening, it seems long
at least.”
“But did we really?”
“Huh?”
“Really destroy him?” Nightslice continued. “I
still hear his voice in my nightmares. The screams of our friends, who died
fighting alongside us.”
“It’s over now…” Kris stopped short,
indicating the clump of bushes with her eyes.
Nightslice gave a confirmative gestured, and
together, they tackled the figures hiding within the bushes.
“Tough luck Jade.” Kris grinned, standing
over the figure she’d just knocked down. “It’ll take more practice to sneak up
on me. By the way, I heard you just turned 20. Happy birthday.”
“Haha, see you haven’t lost that icy touch of
yours Kris.” Jade laughed, allowing Kris to help him to his feet.
Jade Mitchel was a blond haired man wearing a
black shirt, green jeans and a green photographer’s vest with multiple pockets.
Beside him was a rectangular bag in which Kris knew he always carried a laptop.
“Ow!” Another voice sounded. “Nightslice! Let
go of my wings this instant! I just had them done up and you’re gonna ruin
them!”
“Hey Firestorm, when did you become so vain?”
Nightslice taunted.
He was on the Charizard’s back with his arms
wrapped around Firestorm’s wings and neck. Firestorm shook wildly as he failed
to get Nightslice off him.
“All right! You asked for it!” With that,
Firestorm brought up his flaming tail and stuck in into Nightslice’s backside.
“RRRaarrgghhh!” Nightslice screamed, jumping
off.
Firestorm took the distraction and turned the
tables by grabbing Nightslice from behind.
“Feels much better when you’re the one being
strangled!”
“Grrrrr…fine! Take that!” Nightslice swung
his leg back, hitting Firestorm between his legs.
The Charizard gawked on surprise, stumbling
back clutching his groin area. Nightslice pounced onto him and the two begun a
struggling and insulting frenzy.
“Gee, those two see each other for the first
time in nearly a year and the first thing they have to do is fight.” Jade
commented.
“It’s typical.” Kris replied. “Some things
will never change I guess.”
“But a lot still will.”
“What brings you to this part of the
“I’m actually here to do a few photographs
for this nature magazine.” Jade told her. “I was just asking around the Pokemon
center and the nurse mentioned someone matching your description. It’s quite a
coincidence, really.”
Almost too much of a coincidence… Kris
thought.
“Anyway, how are the others?”
“I know at least Hazuki and Nala have a
rented apartment on
“We all have our limits.” Kris sighed.
Chimera was their term for others like
themselves, human with Pokemon DNA. Jade had been referring to a battle they’d once
joined with others like them, fighting for their freedom. Those who survived
seemingly lived only to face the challenge of re-adapting to the lives they’d
lost.
What the other Chimeras never knew was that
Kris’ sub-group had been involved in far greater battles, against ancient Gods
and even Legendary Dragons.
Only now, a new one was about to begin…
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“Looks like a storm’s brewing up.” Kris
muttered, looking up at the sky.
“A big one too…” Jade added in.
As if on cue, several drops began falling.
All of a sudden, it turned into a huge downpour.
“Aw crap!” Moaned Firestorm as they begun to
run.
“Don’t worry! The
The group sprinted through the pouring rain,
threw open the building’s double doors…and promptly crashed into a couple of
figures standing in the entrance way.
“Nala? Hazuki?” Kris gasped from her spot on
the floor.
“Kris? Wow, is that really you?!” Nala stood
up, equally surprised.
Nala Enhustan was now 17. She had brown eyes,
with her black hair coming down past her shoulder level. She was dressed in a
pink pair of denim shorts and a dark blue short sleeveless shirt that left her
stomach uncovered. A green sweater was also tied around her waist.
“Yeah, you’re about one of the last people we
expected to meet here, of all places.” Hazuki added in.
Since their previous adventures, Nala had become
close friends with Hazuki Yamazashi, who was a couple of years younger. Hazuki
was much shorter and very fair skinned, almost a snowy white. Her light blue
hair and eyes seemed to match her long-sleeved shirt and white jeans.
“This is all quite intriguing indeed, but
would you chaps mind getting off me before starting to go all mushy will the
reunions and other stuff?” A voice moaned from beneath the pile.
This was Riot, a young Aerodactyl who was
Nala’s partner. Like Firestorm and Nightslice, she too could speak human
language, and did so with a British accent.
“If you could be any louder Riot, you’d have
the reporters swarming on us ‘talking’ Pokemon.” Nightslice muttered.
“Don’t worry, the place is pretty empty.”
Nala assured them. “Most of the employees are off for the weekend. Those still
here are outside managing their boats and equipment. Storms out here in this
region and really strong sometimes.”
“But what about you guys?” Jade asked.
“Well, basically we work here.” Hazuki grinned.
“Managing all the radio transmissions and stuff from the ships.”
“Onee-san!” (Meaning ‘Older sister’ in
Japanese.)
A young girl came running around the corner.
“Oh, hi Yusia!” Kris waved. “I almost forgot
you were with them.”
Yusia Parsal was a 10 year old girl who had
been rescued from an experimental facility during a previous encounter, known
as the Chimera Incident. Hazuki had unofficially adopted Yusia as her little
sister.
She had light blue eyes and matching light blue
hair with hints of white. The hair was shoulder length and tied back into a
pony tail. She wore a white T-shirt which had dark blue borders on the edge and
light blue jeans with white stripes going down the outside of each pant leg.
“Kris!” Yusia smiled. “I told Onee-san you
would be coming. Are you getting ready to go on your new adventure?”
“Huh? I…”
Just then, a doorbell sounded.
“Looks like someone’s at the side door.”
Hazuki said. “Yusia, would you mind, go see who it is.”
“OK!”
“It started after you left Kris,” Hazuki
spoke once Yusia was gone. “Yusia, well, sometimes she sees visions of the
future. And very accurate ones too.”
“Hmmm…” Kris nodded.
“Big sister! It’s that tall, weird and creepy
looking guy with the Houndoom again!”
“She means Alken.” Nala said, running to the
side. “Hold on Yusia, I’m coming!”
“You’re referring to Alken Wong from the
Chimera Incident, right?” Kris asked.
“Yes.” Hazuki confirmed. “He comes around
here sometimes. We keep trying to invite him to stay, but he never agrees.”
“Oh god! Alken, what happened?!” Nala’s voice
rang out from the doorway.
The entire group sprang from their places and
ran to the door, where Nala was helping Alken onto a chair. Alken was a
Chinese, with brown eyes and his shoulder length black hair tied in a ponytail.
He wore a white shirt with a black pair on long pants. Alken had taken off his
black coat allowing Kris to clearly see his left sleeve was soaked with blood.
Alken’s partner, Abetos, stood beside them
with a distinctly concerned look on his face. As much as a blind Houndoom with
a black scarf tied around his eyes could at least.
In addition to that, both of them were
soaking wet.
“It’s nothing Nala, don’t worry about it.”
Alken insisted.
“Hang on, I’ll get the first-aid kit.” Hazuki
said, running off.
“Alken, what did happen?” Kris asked.
The 28 year old gave Kris and Jade a
‘greeting’ nod as Hazuki wrapped his arm in a bandage.
“This old couple was swept out to sea on
their boat.” Alken explained. “A group of passer-bys and sailors were trying to
help them. I was there, and I got hit by a broken piece of the pier. The
sailors were trying to get their boat started to go after them, but there
seemed to be some engine trouble. I came here to get some help.”
“I’ll call the Coast Guard.” Nala decided,
running over to the communications station. “Damn! There’s too much
interference from the storm! I can’t get through!”
“Even if you could get through, I doubt the
Coast Guard would arrive in time.” Alken muttered.
“Then we’ll go out after them!” Nala
declared, grabbing a bunch of keys off the desk.
“Are you crazy?! You’ll get swept out by the
storm!” Alken yelled.
“The Rescue Boats stand a good chance!” Nala
pointed to one through the glass window. “Come on, I could use your help! Riot
doesn’t do well in the water!”
“All right.” Kris nodded, running after her.
The rest of the group, minus Alken,
immediately followed.
“Yusia, stay here.” Hazuki told her. “We’ll
be back soon.”
“Hey wait!” Alken called, standing up. “Damn,
we can’t leave those kids to go out along. Abetos, come on!”
Outside, Nala had hit the ignition, the
speedboat’s engine roaring to life. Alken raced for the boat and jumped aboard
as it begun to move.
“Hey! Wait! Yusia’s outside!” Firestorm
yelled, looking back.
“Yusia! What are you doing?!” Hazuki yelled.
Not happy that her little sister had followed them outside.
“Argh!” Yusia slipped on the wet pier.
In a flash, Nightslice leapt across the gap
and grabbed the girl. Using the pier as a springboard, he pushed off against it
and spread his wings, barely managing to glide back to the boat.
“Yusia! I told you not to come!” Hazuki
scolded angrily.
“I’m sorry big sis, but you’ll need me for
this too! I can help save the people too!”
“This isn’t a game you know?! You could’ve
been hurt!” Hazuki sighed. “Nevermind, put on a life vest and stay inside with
Nala, all right?”
“Yes sis.”
In the midst of their excitement, no one
noticed the cloaked figure standing on the roof of the building, watching their
every move. And in the next flash of lightning, the figure had disappeared,
leaving no trace that it had even been there at all.
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“Look! There they are!” Hazuki pointed,
shouting over the howling of the wind.
Up ahead, two figures were barely visible,
waving desperately to attract attention. The engine of their boat had
apparently been damaged, leaving the small ship at the mercy of the raging
waves.
“OK, Firestorm, Riot, I know you two don’t
like water much, but we need you to try and keep that boat as stable as
possible.” Kris instructed. “We can’t let them drift off any further.”
The two flyers took off to do their part as
Nala pulled the boat in closer, trying her best to steady it. Alken and Jade
held on to Hazuki as she threw a rope over to the other boat. Nightslice
carried Kris and made a long jump over to the other boat.
“Here, secure this to something!” Kris
yelled.
“Thank you!” The elderly man replied. “I’ll
tie it. Hold on!”
“Hurry!” Jade called from the rescue boat.
“The instruments show a large wave is approaching!”
“It’s done!” The man called, running back to
Kris.
“Jade! Alken! Help them across!” Kris
shouted. Without waiting for a reply, she raced for the ship’s steering wheel
and spun it in an attempt to steady the boat. “Storm! Riot!”
Roars and grunts came from the two Pokemon as
they held on to the back and front of the affected ship.
“
All of a sudden, a wave swept past, snapping
the rope holding the two ships in half.
“Damn! Abetos! Hurry!” Alken snatched up
another rope and followed his Houndoom as he leapt across.
“Alken!” Jade screamed.
“Guargh!” Alken fell short of his target, but
managed to grab the rail of the other boat with one hand. With Abetos’ help,
Alken struggled against the waves to pull himself up.
Hazuki and Jade brought up yet another rope.
But then, a wave hit the boat, throwing both of them off it.
“No!” Yusia screamed, running out the door,
into the rain.
“Wait! Yusia!” Nala abandoned the wheel and
dashed after the young girl.
“Watch out!” The old man warned.
A little too late, Yusia slipped. Nala dove
for her, but a sudden movement from the boat sent them flying off as well. Riot
suddenly dove into the water after her partner, despite her weakness to water.
Everything was happening so fast that Kris
barely had any time to comprehend it. All she remembered was seeing her friends
plunge into the waves, and running out onto the deck. Warnings from Nightslice
and Firestorm caused her to look up…just in time to see a huge wave crashing
down upon them.
Just as suddenly, she was being tossed and
thrown about by the waves, gasping for air. It was impossible to tell left from
right, or where the others were.
However, one time her head blobbed to the
surface, Kris saw something that frightened her even more.
It was a figure seemingly standing on the
water. Time seemed to stop as Kris slowly examined its every detail. It was a
humanoid figure shrouded in a black glow. It was easily 6 feet tall, with a
serpent-like head, a huge pair of wings on its back and a tail waving behind
it. Its wrists had swords mounted on each one, but a five-clawed hand was still
visible under each one. Its entire body seemed to be wrapped in some black cloth,
leaving only a glowing red line along its face, like a visor for it to see
through.
No! It can’t be!
It was an enemy Kris thought had been
destroyed. A vision, an image, or something else? Kris didn’t have the time or
energy to think.
Then, came another voice. A surprisingly
familiar one.
“No! You will not harm them like you did to
the others!”
Zian?! Kris wondered, staring up at
the Legendary Psychic Dragon. An ally from a previous adventure.
He was best described as a dragon whelp, with
green scales covering most of his body and a red colored belly. His wings were
also colored in green and red, matching the colors of his body. Zian was
roughly the size of a human, although he walked on all fours.
Zian seemed unaffected by the storm as he
flew full force into the dark dragon. In a bright flash of light, Zian was
tossed roughly away.
Victorious, the dark, dragon-like figure
raised its claw and pointed a finger straight at Kris. In its other hand, it
was holding two crystals, one green and one pink. Then, it begun to fade and
vanish completely.
“Deflagrate muri…tempi et intervallia…”
Someone’s voice chanted, although Kris couldn’t be sure who’s.
It was also at this moment the time unfroze,
once sending Kris under the water…and into the darkness.
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Coughing and groaning, Kris opened her eyes
to find Nightslice standing over her.
“You all right?”
“Yeah…” Kris muttered, turning her gaze up.
“Huh? Where are we?!”
What she found herself looking up at a huge
cavern. Numerous rocky projections emerged from the floors and ceiling. Water
was dripping from numerous places. It looked like a naturally formed cave, one
that had been untouched for thousands of years.
However, it was definitely not the raging sea
Kris last remembered.
“Storm?!” Jade cried, shaking the Charizard.
Kris realized his tail fire was almost out.
“No…” Jade said softly. “Please…no…”
Suddenly, Firestorm’s tail burst into flames,
the water hissing as it evaporated.
“Sorry Jade, you won’t get rid of me that
easily.” He gasped.
All around, the others were pulling
themselves to their feet as well. Nala, Riot, Hazuki and Yusia…all soaking wet.
“Are we…alive?” Nala wondered, looking
around.
“Let me check.” Firestorm stuck his flaming
tail into Nightslice’s back.
“Ow! Yargh! AARRGGHH!”
“He sure seems alive.”
“Hey, did anyone see Alken?” Nala cut in.
“I thought I saw him and Abetos when we were
all caught in that current.” Hazuki said. “You guys remember right? The storm
at sea? And we got swept overboard?”
“Did anyone else see Zian back then?”
Firestorm asked. “It looked like he was fighting this dark shape.”
“That shape…” Kris muttered. “Did it look
like…Kaiser?”
Everyone snapped up at the mention of the
dark Dragon God’s name.
“We took care of him, didn’t we?” Riot asked.
“Perhaps…or perhaps not…” Nightslice shook
his head. “Something just felt very wrong with it. Chilled me to the bone.”
He stood up to examine their surroundings.
“Like we’re in a completely different place
and…Zian!”
The entire group rushed over to the spot
where Zian was sprawled across the floor in a puddle of water. Firestorm gently
took the dragon in his arms and put his hand to his neck.
“He’s breathing.” The Charizard
announced.
“Look at that!” Jade pointed to a long scar
across the left side of Zian’s chest, where his heart should be.
“We’ll go find a way out of here.” Kris
indicated Nightslice and herself. “Make sure to take care of Zian, he’s the
only one who can tell us what the hell is going on here.”
“Looks like the light is streaming in from up
there.” Nightslice pointed up a near vertical cliff that seemed like a dried
out waterfall.
“Let’s go.”
Grabbing on to Kris, Nightslice sprang up the
cliff, digging his one free claw and feet into the rocky surface to form
handholds. It took a while, but he finally arrived at the top.
“That boulder seems to be blocking the
entrance.” Kris gestured.
The pair was walking over to the boulder when
the ground suddenly shook. That was followed by a long and deep growl.
“What the?!”
“Get down!” Nightslice rammed Kris to the
ground as an energy blast flew past them, blowing up a pile of rocks nearby.
“That thing…it’s alive!” Kris stared.
The ‘boulder’ stirred and begun moving. A
pair of deep red eyes glowed as a head emerged. Arms, legs, wings and tail
uncurled as a shape took form.
It was a gigantic, 30 foot dragon covered in
gray rock-like scales. It stood on all fours, its limbs as thick as pillars.
The Rock Dragon spread its wings and roared, lashing its tail about. The beast
eyed them, saliva dripping from its jaws.
“Please tell me he’s one of Zian’s pals that
we don’t know about.” Nightslice moaned.
The rock dragon charged.
“Guess not! Harrgghh!” Nightslice yelled,
throwing off a Hyper Beam from his claws.
As powerful as the blast was, the dragon
simply brushed it off. Nightslice threw two more beams before realizing it was
hopeless.
“Incoming!” Kris warned.
The pair leapt in opposite directions and the
dragon slammed its tail down. The shock created was so powerful that it sent
the two flying into the walls. In agony, Kris pulled herself up. Seeing the
beast going for Nightslice, she drew her sword and ran towards it.
The Rock Dragon simply swatted her away with
a wing.
This filled Nightslice with rage and he
attacked, slashing with his Metal Claw at the dragon’s head. All he got for his
efforts was another hard smack.
Meanwhile, the others below had heard the
fighting and were trying to get up the cliff. However, they were hindered by
all the rocks falling from the ceiling, thanks to all the shaking caused by the
battle.
Nightslice groaned, and opened his eyes just
in time to see the dragon’s jaws closing over him.
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The Present…
“RRRRAAARRGGHHHH!”
The surge of memories and visions had
stopped, but leaving Nightslice more confused than he already was.
‘His’ new Steel Dragon body was still
trashing about, screaming wildly.
<What are you doing?! > He heard Kris’
from within ‘their’ body call out to him. <Calm down! >
<It’s not me! > Nightslice protested.
Kris herself was in quite a state of
confusion. She was in somebody else’s body for one thing. It was as if she were
watching a movie, except she was seeing through the dragon’s, Bahamut’s,
eyes.
She tried hard to focus and look within. In
her mind, she ‘saw’ the image of herself standing inside a glowing orb of
sliver light. Outside the orb, the walls seemed to be throbbing and pulsing,
like…like a heart?!
OK, wait, let’s see…Nightslice and I
merged into the form of this dragon right? Let’s assume I form the heart, and
then he forms the body, two essential components. Kris thought. But
wait! Then, who’s in control if Nightslice isn’t? Where’s the mind?!
<Kris! He’s waking up! > Nightslice screamed in panic.
<What? Who?! >
<The dragon! Bahamut! The dragon whose
body we’re in! And I don’t think he’s happy we’re here… >
“RRRRRRAAAGGGGHHH! W…WHAT?! WHAT’S INSIDE OF
ME????!!!!!!!!!”
There were a lot of things which Kris didn’t
understand this day.
However, one thing she definitely knew was
that the last voice had belonged to neither herself nor Nightslice.
Now, the
legend evolves…