The companions rode their dragons in silence. They knew they had to get to the Fire Kingdom in time. They also knew that they needed to rest for they couldn't afford to be fatigued when the time finally arrived for them to battle Nemesis' forces.
"He never quits does he?! He invades our hometowns and now wishes to invade Atlanta's a second time! That Nemesis sure is demented!" Ryu growled angrily.
"Not more demented than you are" Nadia quickly added.
"Okay, drop it Nadia, we're out of the dungeons are we not? You don't need to keep giving me a hard time" Ryu said.
"Well, I'm just doing it for the fun of it. Besides, I still have to pay you back for letting the Shadow ninja see that forbidden jutsu!" Nadia growled angrily.
"Fair enough" Ryu laughed.
"Ryu, you wanted to know about my Silent techniques didn't you?" Atlanta suddenly asked.
Ryu stared at her in surprise.
"Are you really going to tell me what they are?" Ryu asked excitedly.
"Ryu, Silent techniques are special techniques I discovered. They were originally designed for assassinating people from remote locations but I just use them for protection. I'm not going to explain how they work though. They are a secret of my family. People would kill to know those secrets and though I trust you, I don't want to put you in unnecessary danger" Atlanta said with a laugh.
Ryu nodded in appreciation.
"It's going to be a long journey. I mean, all the way to the Fire Kingdom? I didn't think we'd have to take such a long detour" Michael said.
"I could play a tune to pass the time. One tune in particular keeps ringing in my mind. It's the song of fate. Want to hear it?" Tanya asked.
"Go ahead Tanya. We're all in serious need of a musical interlude" Ryu said as he lay on Molten's back and folded his arms behind his head.
He stared into the starlit sky.
He could see the moons of Tristran but the White Moon looked particularly beautiful that evening.
"Another demented one is that Tristran. What would inspire him to create such ugly moons?" Ryu said.
Tanya removed her flute and began to play. Her melody was very beautiful. As the melody played on, the companions could see vague images of Ryuujinn and Tristran flash across the night sky. The dragons seemed to be shedding silent tears as they listened to Tanya's music.
"Do you want to know the words of the music you're playing?" Crystal asked Tanya.
Tanya nodded.
"Then keep playing, we will sing along" Crystal said.
Tanya obeyed and continued to play. Crystal took in a deep breath and began to sing.
"Timeless, windless, wordless, endless
Something from my past seems worthless,
Memories I can't define,
Of things I just can't seem to find.
A star, a storm, a great starship,
That blazes on an endless trip,
A black hole comes and wakes my fears,
The Silent Stars shed endless tears.
Bended, ended, winded, worded,
Silent, the crew disappear,
I awaken the next day on a bed,
To find that all my memories are dead.
Growing, rising, hiding, finding,
I can't fit in this strange setting,
My past is lost but I am here,
And the stars keep shedding timeless tears"
Crystal and the other dragons sang in perfect harmony. As they sang, Ryu burst into uncontrollable tears. He couldn't understand why he was crying so much. Neither could the others, nor the dragons.
Somewhere, deep within the hearts of men, a presence stirred; a gentle presence, a calm presence, a kind presence, yet an immensely powerful presence.
"Soon, very soon, I will put an end to all the tragedies" a gentle voice rang within Ryu's mind.
"D-Did you guys hear that?" Ryu asked in surprise.
"Hear what?" the others asked.
"Nothing, I guess I imagined it" he said.
"What was that song just now?" Rokkan asked.
"It's ancient. It's a song we created to remind ourselves that Ryuujinn lives on, within the hearts of men and beasts. His memories are etched within the very memories of creation. That song is called thus…Memoires Of Ryuujinn" Crystal said.
"I think we should camp for the night and continue our journey at dawn" Ken suggested.
"Hey guys! Look up ahead! I think we just found Ryu no kokoro!" Nadia pointed excitedly.
The companions noticed the familiar setting and descended into the one home they all shared in common, a home that marked a vital turning point in their history.
"I didn't think we'd be back here so soon" Atlanta said with a nostalgic smile on her face.
The entire surroundings were filled with memories. The place Ryu and Crystal had battled over Atlanta's goodness was still covered with shards of crystals.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Ryu said with a nostalgic smile.
"I never got to thank you, did I Ryu? Thank you so very much for everything" Atlanta said gratefully.
Ryu blushed shyly.
"Well you don't need to get so sentimental about it" Ryu said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"Unfortunately, we can't stay for long. We'll continue our journey tomorrow" Michael said.
"We're close" Atlanta sighed.
"Let's get some rest" Michael suggested.
"Haaaah, I'm so beat" Ken yawned and dropped to the ground.
"I'm going to find some food for everyone" Ryu said as he ran off.
"He's so psyched up about this place isn't he?" Nadia asked.
"Yep, we all had some lovely memories about this place" Michael said.
"Why don't you tell us about it?" Ken asked.
"It's a long story but here goes" Nadia said as she began to narrate the earlier part of the journey that involved how Michael, Ryu, Atlanta and herself met.
By the time she was done, Ryu had arrived with a dead wild boar. He wasted no time in setting a bonfire and the companions talked more about how they met one another till their current progress. Soon, the boar was roasted well enough to be eaten. Everyone was very happy and content. Atlanta was a little concerned about her homeland but she didn't let it ruin the fun she was having with her best friends. Soon, enough, the friends began to doze off, one by one until they were all asleep.
"Thank you Ryu" Atlanta murmured one final time before drifting off to sleep.