"Atlanta!" Ryu called as he approached her.
Atlanta's evil smile suddenly turned into a radiant one.
"Ryu, what's going on?" she asked.
"Atlanta, you wouldn't believe it, Molten is so, so cool! We even invented our own techniques; you should have seen the look on Michael and Nadia's face when we used the Michael and Nadia jutsu! It was total victory!" Ryu said happily, then he noticed the sad expression in Atlanta's eyes. "Atlanta, what's wrong? You and Crystal had fun too right?" Ryu asked with a wavering smile.
"No, I don't think she likes me, in fact she asked me never to summon her again until I got rid of the darkness in my heart" Atlanta said as tears flowed down her face.
"Darkness? What darkness?" Ryu asked.
"I don't know" Atlanta lied.
"So, she refused to teach you huh?" Ryu said silently.
"Am I really that bad a person?" Atlanta asked.
"N-no, n-not at all, I think you're beautiful, smart, funny, stubborn but bad; I don't think so, you're a really good person" Ryu said.
Those words rang in her head and heart as an unfamiliar feeling of guilt began to manifest.
"Give me your ring Atlanta! The crystal ring!" Ryu ordered.
Atlanta removed the ring and gave it to Ryu.
"What are you going to do?" Atlanta asked.
"If she won't teach you willingly, then I'm going to force her to, and she's going to admit that you're a good person!" Ryu said.
More guilt came over Atlanta. Ryu raised the ring and a flash of lightning announced the appearance of Crystal.
"Crystal, why won't you teach Atlanta" Ryu asked.
Crystal's eyes narrowed.
"She's not who you think she is Ryu, in fact she's even more dangerous than Nemesis" Crystal said.
"What?! Try saying that again Crystal!" Ryu yelled.
At that moment, Michael and Nadia came towards them. Nadia cracked her knuckles as a fearful grin spread across her face.
"IT'S PAYBACK TIME!!!" she yelled at Ryu.
Ryu didn't respond.
"What's going on here?" Michael demanded an answer.
No one responded.
"So you won't teach her?" Ryu asked.
"No" Crystal answered plainly.
"Then I guess there is no other option than to let you see reason Crystal!" Ryu said.
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.
"FIGHT ME CRYSTAL!!!" Ryu roared.
At this challenge, two lightning bolts struck as Molten and Hurricane appeared.
"I wouldn't challenge Crystal if I were you Ryu, let it go" Molten warned.
"A human challenging a dragon to an elemental duel; so you have decided to take the path of Shekan" Hurricane said.
"Shekan fought for himself. I'm fighting for Atlanta's honour!" Ryu said.
"Ryu, please stop this, it doesn't really matter, don't challenge Crystal" Atlanta pleaded with genuine concern.
Crystal roared, "I'm fed up of your pretence!"
"STOP JUDGING HER ALREADY!!!" Ryu roared as he charged to attack Crystal.
"This is bad!" Hurricane and Molten exclaimed together in shock.
"EARTH ELEMENT! CRYSTAL PRISON TECHNIQUE!" Crystal roared, her voice echoing.
Crystal domes surrounded Ryu.
"CRYSTAL!" Ryu roared.
"You'll have to accept that Atlanta's not who she says she is!" Crystal laughed.
"This is not over yet but if I beat you, you'll accept that Atlanta's a good person and you'll teach her!" Ryu demanded.
"Very well, you've already lost, the Crystal domes are unbreakable" Crystal said.
"REALLY?!" Ryu said as he disappeared from the dome.
"IMPOSSIBLE! HE ESCAPED CRYSTAL'S JUTSU!" Hurricane exclaimed in shock.
"A CLONE?!" Crystal exclaimed. "Then where's the real one?"
Crystal looked around.
"I was never in your dome Crystal, TAKE THIS! FIRE ELEMENT! DRAGON FIRE JUTSU!" Ryu roared as a release of fire headed towards Crystal.
"WATER ELEMENT! RAGING SHARK JUTSU!" Crystal roared as a gigantic shark made of water quenched Ryu's flames.
"Water element?!" Ryu exclaimed in surprise.
"Did you think you'd won already? Dragon saints are not like human saints. Ryu, unlike you we can control all the elements!" Crystal explained.
"Even so, I'm going to force you to teach Atlanta anyway!" Ryu yelled.
"Come on and try, CRYSTAL ELEMENT! CAVE OF GENJUTSU!" Crystal roared.
A cave began to rise around Ryu. Ryu escaped it in time and leapt into the air!
"CHEETAH! LION!" Ryu roared.
"What?! New seals?!" Michael exclaimed in shock.
"Was Ryu always this powerful? Even I am no match, who would have imagined that behind that ridiculous pretence…" Nadia admired.
"How far have you come on your own?" Molten wondered.
"TAKE THIS! FIRE ELEMENT! MIST FLAME DANCE!" Ryu roared blowing an immense mixture of fire and mist at Crystal thus weakening her.
Ryu landed.
"What?! He defeated Crystal?" Hurricane exclaimed even more shocked.
"AMAZING RYU!" Molten cheered.
"Have you come to your senses Crystal? If you haven't, I'm going to beat you up!" Ryu threatened.
"You're strong Ryu but not strong enough! WATER ELEMENT! RAGING SHARK BOMBADA BARRAGE JUTSU!" Crystal roared as she released multiple water sharks simultaneously.
"HORSE! TIGER! FIRE ELEMENT! BLAZING FIREBALL TECHNIQUE!" Ryu roared.
Crystal's attack was however more powerful and it washed Ryu and knocked him into a rock. Ryu fell down weak, he could hardly move.
"So how about it Ryu? Have you accepted that Atlanta is a fake?" Crystal asked.
Atlanta lowered her head, she knew the deal. When a ninja gave his word he would have to keep it no matter what! If he failed to do so, he would lose his honour, Ryu would have to accept that she was a bad person.
"What's wrong? You can't go back on your word Ryu, accept it!" Crystal roared.
"No, I won't!" Ryu said standing up weakly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone around exclaimed.
Atlanta was shocked.
"You can't go around judging people. If I accept that Atlanta is a bad person, then…then I'd have to accept that I'm as evil as Shekan" Ryu breathed heavily.
"If you don't keep your word, your honour will be stripped away, you'll be disbanded from the dragon clan, just like Shekan!" Crystal roared, her eyes narrowing in anger.
"Don't do this Ryu! I admit it I'm a bad person, so please do not throw away your honour just for me…do not…for me" Atlanta cried real tears for the first time.
"If I doubt your goodness then even as a ninja I'm worthless! What worth am I if I don't believe in my friends?!" Ryu yelled.
"Don't do this Ryu!" Molten said.
"Sometimes Ryu, you have to open your eyes, let go of your emotions and see an enemy as an enemy!" Crystal advised.
"I don't believe that so go ahead, strip me of my honour, I will be very happy" Ryu said boldly.
"Very well!" Crystal said with a sudden whip of her tail.
As Ryu stood, his ceremonial ninja clothes were ripped off and they fell to the ground in shreds; all that remained of his father's parting gift. Molten and Hurricane shut their eyes and disappeared.
"RYU!" Atlanta cried in pain.
He raised a hand to silence her and walked away.
"From now on you are no longer considered a ninja, begone exiled ninja!" Crystal roared and disappeared.
"Ryu" Michael called.
"I need to be alone for some time Michael. I may be an idiot Mike but I am a happy idiot" Ryu said walking away with a smile.
"You have more honour than any ninja I've ever met" Nadia praised in silence.