TEN YEARS AGO…
A young girl, seven years of age was being trained by a Dragon Knight with white hair and blue eyes. The girl was called Aurora Saggeese, true heiress to the Saggeesian throne and the Dragon Knight was called…Sir Jinrai the Lightning Blade.
"Aurora, you have skill but skill alone is not enough. You must try to visualize your opponent's heart the very moments your swords clash" Sir Jinrai lectured.
"You mean like imagine the heart of my opponent?" Aurora questioned.
"Not quite. Seeing your opponent's heart is quite different from imagining it" Sir Jinrai explained.
"How?" innocent young Aurora asked.
"Imagination is an illusion you wish to see. It can lie to you but perception and intuition are different. They make the truth clear, do you understand?" Sir Jinrai tried to explain.
Aurora shook her head with a confused look on her face.
"Don't worry, that's why I brought along this bucket of water, in case you don't understand" Sir Jinrai said.
At this, Aurora began to weep.
"What's wrong Aurora?" Sir Jinrai asked looking confused by Aurora's reaction.
"What's the matter?" Sir Jinrai asked kindly.
"You brought this bucket of water to pour it on me if I didn't understand the lesson" Aurora sobbed.
Sir Jinrai laughed.
"What an idea! You can stop crying now Aurora because this water is not meant for your body but your heart and your mind" Sir Jinrai comforted her.
"Now you're confusing me even more!" Aurora said worriedly.
"Well let's just say I'll show you a practical example and leave it at that" Sir Jinrai said as he summoned another bucket of water out of nowhere.
"WOW! MAGIC!" Aurora exclaimed cheerfully.
"I see that cheered you up, now tell me what you see" Sir Jinrai said.
"A blue bucket and a green bucket, both half filled with water" Aurora said cheerfully.
"Good, the blue bucket represents your heart and the green bucket represents the heart of your opponent. They are separate at first" Sir Jinrai explained as he picked up a stone.
"This stone is the deepest intention and emotion hidden within your opponent's heart" Sir Jinrai said as he dropped the stone into the green bucket.
Then he stretched his hand over the blue bucket and a powerful wind stirred the water within it.
"This wind is the ambivalence within your own heart, your emotions are in turmoil" Sir Jinrai explained.
Aurora stared into the two buckets.
Sir Jinrai fetched sand next.
"This sand is the darkness within your opponent's heart. It represents his pain, guilt and loneliness mixed together" Sir Jinrai explained as he dropped the sand into the green bucket and the water in it turned dirty and unclear. "Still, your hearts are separate. However, this is what happens when you clash swords with an opponent while bearing good intentions within your own heart" Sir Jinrai said as he lifted the blue bucket and poured the tempestuous waters into the green bucket till it was full. The mixture reacted violently and seemed to become worse with every passing second.
"How do you describe this mixture Aurora?" Sir Jinrai questioned.
"Chaotic" Aurora said as she stared into the bucket with a look of disgust on her face.
"Yes, and that is mainly due to the ambivalence within your very own heart. But watch what happens when you calm your heart and open your heart to understand the emotions and motivations behind your opponent's every move" Sir Jinrai said as he snapped his fingers.
The water calmed down and all the dirt settled and the stone was revealed at the very bottom of the bucket.
"I can see the stone!" Aurora exclaimed cheerfully.
"Yes, you can see your opponent's deepest emotion. His true emotion" Sir Jinrai said with a smile.
"Let's try it Sir Jinrai!" Aurora said as she unsheathed her Saggeesian Sabre.
The other belonged to Jared.
Aurora and Sir Jinrai dueled for a long time but Aurora showed no results.
"I can't see anything! Swordsmanship is so useless!" Aurora yelled as she threw her Sabre away.
"You cannot see my heart because you are focused on defeating me instead of understanding the emotion behind my every move" Sir Jinrai lectured.
"Swordsmanship is just a waste of time!" Aurora sighed as she walked away.
"You may not understand now but your heart and destiny is entwined with that of the True Dragonhaӓrt's. Learning the way of the Sword may be the only way for you both to find your true destinies. If you cannot reach into the Dragonhaӓrt, it will be ruled by Darkness and only the Darkhaӓrt will prevail" Sir Jinrai said to Aurora.
"It's useless, I wasn't meant to be a Swordsman. You put too much faith in me but I am nothing but a princess" Aurora sighed sadly. "A princess who has lost her family and her throne".
PRESENTLY…
"Aurora! Aurora! Are you listening?!" Darak called.
Aurora shook her head as if waking up from a dream.
"S-Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment" Aurora said with a nervous laugh.
Kyla and Shin had their mouths open in astonishment.
"You really think it's that effective?!" Shin exclaimed with an excited look on his face.
"W-wait, what are you talking about? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat what you just said?" Aurora pleaded.
"I said a lot just now. Do you really want me to repeat everything?" Darak sighed.
"Yes please, I'm sorry for not paying attention earlier" Aurora apologized.
Darak sighed.
"Okay, listen carefully. You know that in this world there are special ores with which one can create a weapon right?" Darak asked.
"Yeah, your Pyro Blade is made from the Flame Ore right?" Aurora said.
"Yes, but there are more powerful ores than just raw elemental ores. There are ores that have special properties and effects. They are rare and sacred and are known as Mithril Ores" Darak explained.
"I think I've heard something about them. There are those with lesser effects and those with greater effects right?" Kyla said.
"Exactly, and among these ores, the ones with the greatest powers are the Sol Mithril Ore and the Oblivion Mithril Ore" Darak explained.
"I've never heard of them" Kyla shook her head ignorantly.
"That's because they are now commonly known as the Light Mithril Ore and the Dark Mithril Ore" Darak explained.
"Yeah, but what has that got to do with The Twin Saggeesian Sabres?" Aurora asked.
"Aurora, do you remember how your Sabre and Jared's worked when you still practiced Swordsmanship?" Darak asked.
"Yeah, my Sabre had great penetration power and Jared's absorbed any element it came into contact with" Aurora said with a thoughtful look.
"Your Sabre is made from the Sol Mithril Ore and Jared's is made from the Oblivion Mithril Ore!" Darak informed.
"Really?!" everyone exclaimed in excitement.
"My father always said that those Sabres were forged with the 'Will Of Two Hearts'. I never understood what he meant" Aurora said with a content look on her face.
"But wait a minute, I thought the Twin Saggeesian Sabres were a royal heirloom passed down to the descendants of the Saggeesian Royal Family. If Aurora has it, that must mean…DON'T TELL ME…?!" Kyla exclaimed in realization.
Aurora nodded.
"Yes, I am Aurora Saggeese, daughter of King Hiram Saggeese and True Heiress to the Saggeesian Throne by the will of my father!" Aurora revealed her identity to the shocked Dragon Students.
Darak smiled.
"I guess it had to come out soon anyway" he said.
"And you gave Reis a hard time!" Shin complained.
Kyla knocked him on the head.
"Show some consideration you idiot!" she scolded.
"She's got her reasons for treating Reis badly so don't judge her too harshly" Mistress Kira who hadn't spoken for a while finally said.
"Hmmph! Whatever" Shin muttered indifferently.
"Okay, so I get that the Twin Saggeesian Sabres are made from the most powerful kinds of Mithril Ore but how can great penetration power and the ability to absorb elements give us an edge against Armageddon" Aurora said skeptically.
"Hmm, I haven't yet figured that part out" Darak said rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully.
"The Heart Sabre" Mistress Kira suddenly said.
"What?" everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
"Darak, you know certain swordsmen prefer to use Twin Blades right?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Yeah, every swordsman knows that. It is more advantageous to use Twin Blades than to use single ones because it doubles the attack rate" Darak said.
"Yes but it halves the attack power. When using Twin Sabres against a Swordsman who holds one Sabre with both hands, though attack rate is heightened, what happens if the opponent's speed is great?" Mistress Kira asked rhetorically.
"You're right. The opponent will have the advantage since his attack power is doubled" Darak said.
"Yes, so even if Aurora were to face Reis with the Twin Saggeesian Blades, she would be at a disadvantage because of Reis' great speed and strength" Mistress Kira said honestly.
"Plus I gave up swordsmanship when I was only seven and I haven't held a sword since then so I'm pretty much lower than an amateur" Aurora said regretfully.
"So it's hopeless" Kyla sighed in utter dismay.
"Not unless…" Darak began to say.
"Darak do you think it's possible?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Probably not because Light and Darkness naturally repel each other" Darak sighed.
"But if it was possible, we could obtain the Heart Sabre!" Mistress Kira said excitedly.
"What are you two talking about?" Aurora asked curiously.
"Sorry for keeping you in suspense but have any of you heard of the Heart Sabre?" Mistress Kira questioned.
Everyone except for Darak shook their heads ignorantly.
"Darak, why don't you explain it to them. I believe they will understand you better" Mistress Kira suggested.
Darak sighed.
"Okay, so you heard what we said earlier on about Twin Sabres and Single Sabres right?" Darak asked.
Everyone nodded.
"Well, there's a way to deal with the problem Twin Sabres have against Single Sabres" Darak said.
"Really?" Aurora said hopefully.
"Yes, some swordsmen developed the technique of creating swords that complement each other" Darak explained.
"How?" Shin asked ignorantly.
"Twin Sabre users modified their swords in such a way that when they entered into combat with Single Sabre users with superior skill, they combined their Twin Sabres to form a superior Single Sabre" Darak explained.
"Really?!" everyone exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes and that brings me to the Heart Sabre. It is a sword that functions like a human heart" Darak said.
"I don't get it" Shin shook his head in confusion.
"How can you not understand everything I say about swords, aren't you a Swordsman yourself?!" Darak questioned.
"Well…I am but I don't get enough lectures and practice like you do" Shin defended himself.
"That's because all you do is laze about!" Kyla mocked.
"Shut yer trap Kyla!" Shin warned.
"OR WHAT?!" Kyla yelled.
"Or I'll make you shave your hair bald!" Shin threatened.
"You don't have it in you!" Kyla bluffed.
"Try me!" Shin said in such a serious way that Kyla knew he meant what he was saying.
"Fine, just forget I said that" Kyla said as she folded her arms angrily.
"Guys, we don't have time for this" Aurora tried to calm them down.
"Can I continue?" Darak said as he tried to conceal his anger without much luck.
"Y-yeah" Kyla said nervously.
"Good, as I was saying, the Heart Sabre works like a human heart. It contains good and evil in a delicate balance. It projects its wielder's emotions into his or her fighting style and makes it easier for its wielder to understand his opponent's emotions by analyzing their movements" Darak explained.
"So in other words, it gives more life to the saying 'When two swordsmen clash swords, they are able to feel each other's emotions through the blade'" Mistress Kira explained.
"So if I had the Heart Sabre, I could reach into Reis' heart easily right?" Aurora asked.
"Something like that" Darak said coolly.
"So how can I obtain the Heart Sabre?" Aurora asked eagerly.
"You can obtain it by combining a Sol Mithril Ore with an Oblivion Mithril Ore but in your case, simply by combining the Twin Saggeesian Blades" Mistress Kira said.
"But that's impossible, the Twin Saggeesian Sabres do not have any combination slots" Aurora said with disappointment.
"Do you always give up this easily? If so…even if Reis loves you, your efforts will be useless!" Shin said angrily.
"I'm not giving up!" Aurora declared.
"Some swords are not combined physically but with spirit. The strength and possibility of combining the Twin Saggeesian Sabres depends on 'The Strength Of Your Own Heart'" Mistress Kira explained.
"For someone with a weak unenduring heart, it's impossible. It would be like combining the earth and the sky" Darak said.
"So all I have to do is combine the two swords right?" Aurora asked.
"Yep, that's right" Darak said.
"Then leave it to me, I'll find a way or die trying!" Aurora declared with a determined smile.
"Wrong!" Shin declared.
"Shin you idiot!" Kyla yelled angrily.
"We can't let you die…or how would I ever face Reis in this life…or even in the next. You can count on my help!" Shin said with a thumbs up.
"Thank you Shin" Aurora said gratefully.
"Sometimes, you can be really cool" Kyla complimented.
"And sometimes you can be really nasty!" Shin insulted.
Kyla frowned angrily.
"All I need to do now is get the Twin Saggeesian Blades and head to the Forest Of Awakening" Aurora said.
"That'll take long on your own, I'll take you in a jiffy" Shin volunteered.
"Thanks Shin" Aurora said gratefully.
Shin placed his fingers on his forehead and in the next instant, a bright light engulfed them.
"We're here" Shin said.
Aurora opened her eyes and found herself in front of Team Kira's Residence.
"Wow, you're really fast Ayenhayze" Aurora complimented.
"Thanks, go get the blades and I'll wait for you here" Shin said.
Aurora nodded and ran into the house. She went up to her bedroom and opened her wardrobe. The Twin Saggeesian Sabres, one silvery and the other dark gray leaned against the back of the wardrobe. Aurora picked them up and stared at them.
"Jared, you handed your Sabre to me before you went on your final mission. Did you know this was going to happen?" Aurora asked rhetorically, then she closed the wardrobe, attached the Twin Blades to sheaths behind her Ranger uniform and ran out to meet Shin.
"Did you get them?" Shin asked curiously.
"Yes, I did" Aurora said as she unsheathed the Sabres and showed them to Shin.
"Wow, they look really cool!" Shin exclaimed in awe.
"Yeah, they do, now let's head to the Forest Of Awakening" Aurora said.
"Sure" Shin said as he teleported them.
In the next instant they found themselves outside the Forest Of Awakening.
"From here on out, you're on your own. I need to report back to the others so we can prepare to take Reis on" Shin said.
"I understand. Can you do me a favour?" Aurora asked.
"Sure" Shin said.
"Can you tell Erasa that everything's going to be fine? I'm sure she's scared and doesn't understand what's going on" Aurora said thoughtfully.
Shin seemed hesitant.
"Shin? Can you do that for me?" Aurora asked.
"I don't know. I'm not even sure I'll be able to speak" Shin laughed nervously.
"Why not?" Aurora asked in surprise.
"Well let's just say whenever I get close to Erasa, I feel butterflies in my stomach and leave it at that" Shin said with a sheepish grin.
Aurora laughed.
"If only Erasa knew" Aurora said.
"D-Don't tell her. I'll try to tell her your message!" Shin pleaded and disappeared in an instant.
"Shin and Erasa, I never actually thought of it but they'd make a wonderful couple" Aurora said with a smile, then she turned towards the Forest Of Awakening.
"Here goes, wait for me Reis, I'll save you!" she declared as she ran into the Forest Of Awakening.
Meanwhile Shin had appeared at the Senshiiro residence.
"Sheesh, what am I going to say? Th-think Shin, think!" Shin tried to psych himself up for the task ahead.
"I'll just act casual and deliver Aurora's message robotically" Shin said as he knocked on the door.
"I'm coming!" he heard Erasa's voice and began to feel nervous.
Just when he thought he couldn't do it anymore and decided that he would teleport himself away, the door opened.
"Shin!" Erasa called.
Shin froze in his tracks.
"Uh-uh h-hi Erasa?" Shin greeted nervously.
"Well this is a surprise, I seldom see you around here" Erasa said.
Shin decided to act robotically.
"Well, I never really had a reason to come here. Aurora sent me a message to deliver to you. She says, 'don't worry about Reis. He'll be fine' or something like that. Right now we're preparing to fight Reis" Shin said robotically.
"Fight Reis?! You can't do that!" Erasa suddenly exclaimed.
Shin frowned.
This act wasn't getting him anywhere.
"Erasa…I know you care about Reis a lot but right now Reis is being manipulated by Armageddon and the only way we can save him is to fight him" Shin said sadly.
Erasa opened her eyes in shock.
"But I promise you that Reis won't be hurt and he's definitely not going to die. If I break that promise, you can hate me forever. How does that sound?" Shin said trying to force a smile.
"I understand. I'm coming with you" Erasa said.
"What? You'll get yourself killed" Shin refused.
"If you can protect Reis, you can protect me. How does that sound?" Erasa said defiantly.
Shin sighed.
"I guess I have no choice" Shin said.
"No, you don't" Erasa said.
"Fine, get yourself ready, and I'll take you to the others" Shin sighed in a defeated tone.
"Just give me a moment" Erasa said as she ran into the house.
Shin stood outside for about ten minutes before she returned.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's go" Erasa said.
Shin nodded and teleported them to the others.
Meanwhile Aurora had made it halfway to the Cave Of Shadows. She had already defeated seven Kaiser-wolves and she was beginning to get exhausted. She paused in her tracks, panting heavily.
"I can't believe the Kaisers in this forest have gotten this strong since I last encountered them" Aurora panted wearily. "Hang on Reis, I'll be with you soon" she said as she began to run farther into the forest.
She didn't go very far when the first Kaignis-wolf crossed her path.
"Not now! I can't even feel any strength in my body!" Aurora panicked as she held the Twin Saggeesian Sabres defensively in front of her.
The Kaignis wolf however did not attack. It stared at her with calm eyes and turned to walk away.
"You want me to follow you?" Aurora questioned as she began to follow it.
With the Kaignis-wolf on her side, none of the other Kaiser creatures dared to attack her. The Kaignis-wolf led her to the entrance of a large cave.
"I remember this place. It's the Cave Of Shadows. Thanks for your help Kaignis-wolf" Aurora said thankfully.
She had a few scratches here and there and a few small burns but other than that, she was pretty much alright.
"Trust in your heart. It will be the key to his heart" a strange voice sounded within Aurora's mind.
When she turned around, the Kaignis-wolf was nowhere in sight. Aurora walked into the Cave of Shadows. She knew it was safe but she couldn't help being scared.
"What am I scared of?" she asked herself as she walked on.
Soon she could see almost nothing. Just when the cave was covered in darkness, the Twin Saggeesian Sabres began to glow with a warm light which brightened the cave.
"Who's there?" a familiar voice questioned.
Aurora stopped in her tracks.
"Reis? Is that you?" she asked looking around to see the source of the voice.
She saw a dark outline standing just out of reach of the light the Twin Saggeesian Sabres were emitting.
"Aurora?" the voice questioned.
"Yes! It's me…Reis!" Aurora exclaimed joyfully as she began to walk towards the outline.
"No! Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!" Reis yelled desperately.
Aurora paused.
"I'm sorry for the words I spoke earlier. I did not understand what was going on" Aurora apologized.
"No, you were right. I am a monster" Reis said sadly as he stepped back.
Aurora began to approach him.
"No! Keep your distance!" Reis ordered.
"Reis, I want to help you, please let me" Aurora pleaded.
"Help me…" Reis said as he groaned in pain. "No one can help me!" Reis said in a dark sinister voice, then he groaned in pain and said, "Aurora, get out of here! It's not safe!"
"I'm not leaving you again Reis" Aurora said boldly.
Reis chuckled.
"I already know of the plans to exterminate me. Is that why you are here?" Reis said sadly.
"No, I'm not here to hurt you Reis" Aurora assured.
"That is what you say but you came here with the intention of fighting me" Reis said as he pointed to her swords.
"Only to bring you back to your senses. Reis, you know I'd never hurt you" Aurora said.
"No, I don't know that. All you've ever done is hurt me" Reis said sadly.
Aurora stopped walking.
"You're right Reis. I always hurt you for no reason at all. I couldn't face Jared's death so I put the blame on you, but I'm sorry" Aurora apologized.
Reis laughed painfully.
"I was happy…as long as you didn't hate yourself" Reis said.
At this, tears began to stream from Aurora's eyes. Reis groaned painfully and stepped back.
"Aurora, please get away from me, I beg of you" Reis pleaded.
Aurora wiped her tears and continued to approach him.
"I won't" she said simply.
"Why not?" Reis asked.
"Because I don't want to. Reis, you don't need to face the darkness on your own" Aurora said.
"I'd rather face it alone than let you share the burden. It hurts Aurora. I feel myself tearing apart!" Reis said painfully.
Aurora continued to approach him.
"I know I am a part of that pain too but please let me help you" Aurora pleaded.
Reis roared inhumanly.
"I don't want to hurt you Aurora…so please leave" Reis said.
Aurora continued to approach him nonetheless.
"You won't hurt me Reis. You are gentle and kind" Aurora said.
"WHAT PART OF GET OUT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! DON'T YOU GET IT?! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE…EVER AGAIN!!!" Reis yelled angrily.
"Why can't you think of yourself for once?! I know you are trying to protect me! You always put everyone else before yourself. Why can't you think of your own happiness! You risk your own safety for the safety of others. You saved me twice without even thinking of the consequences and you nearly died. That's one of the reasons I find you so annoying! But it's also one of the reasons I…I…" Aurora stopped herself from saying more.
Then she walked towards Reis till she was close enough.
"I'm not leaving you Reis. Not even if I die" Aurora said earnestly.
Reis could see her eyes from where he stood. He knew she was being sincere but he didn't trust himself.
He clutched his heart and groaned in pain.
"Armageddon wants you dead. You're in the way of his plans" Reis said.
"I know but I'm not leaving you" Aurora said.
"Since when did you start caring about me so much?" Reis asked.
Aurora remained silent.
"I'm sorry for asking" he apologized.
There was an awkward silence for a while.
"Aurora, I know you want to save me but…you can't do it if you die so get the others to help you and fight me with all your strength and if I do not come back to my senses…you must eliminate me!" Reis said suddenly.
Aurora stared at Reis in surprise.
"I know it's a hard thing I'm asking you to do but I do not want to hurt anyone, especially not you" Reis said.
Aurora nodded sadly.
Reis suddenly clutched his head.
"I can't hold him anymore, Aurora! Run!" Reis screamed in pain.
Aurora hesitated.
"Aurora, if I never get to see you through my own eyes ever again, I want you to know that…I LOVE YOU! NOW RUN!!!" Reis yelled.
Aurora turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Soon she was out of the cave and in the Forest Of Awakening.
Dark flames engulfed Reis as he screamed in pain. Then he stopped screaming and opened his eyes. The evil glow had returned to his eyes.
"Very well…LET THE HUNT…BEGIN!" Reis laughed as he walked out of the Cave Of Shadows. "To make this more fun, let me give her a five minute head start" he said with an evil grin.
Aurora ran through the Forest of Awakening desperately. Soon, she saw the exit and raced towards it.
"Four minutes, fifty seven seconds…four minutes, fifty eight seconds" Reis counted patiently.
Aurora burst through the last line of trees and was in the Guild.
"Four minutes…fifty nine seconds…five minutes!" Reis said as he suddenly disappeared and reappeared right in front of Aurora!
"And where do you think you are going fair maiden?" Reis asked with a malicious smile.
"OH NO!" Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"It's time for you to say your prayers princess!" Reis said calmly.
Aurora unsheathed the Twin Saggeesian Sabres.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Oh no Aurora, you're breaking my heart. I thought you cared for me as much as I…despise you!" Armageddon mocked.
"Armageddon!" Aurora roared in a disgusted tone.
"Oh don't pick that tone with me dear. I so hate saucy princesses" Armageddon teased.
Aurora took her fighting stance. Armageddon looked at her stance.
"Hmm, the Saggeesian Royal Family Fighting Stance? Is that what you think you're doing? It's more like this!" Armageddon declared as he took the real Saggeesian Royal Family Fighting Stance.
Aurora stared in shock as Armageddon unsheathed Reis' sword. Aurora gulped.
"I'll have to fight him, there's no other way" Aurora said as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Her knees gave way and she collapsed to the ground.
"I see you are afraid of me. An appropriate reaction. You know what? I'm actually beginning to like you. Too bad I can't let you live though. Don't worry, I will tell Reis how you cowered before my power, how desperately you wished for him to save you once more. I will tell him how I pierced you through the heart and how your dying words were 'I'm sorry Reis, I failed you', I'm sure he will then completely surrender his will to me" Armageddon said.
"Remember Aurora, your heart…is the key to his heart. Feel his heart…" the voice that spoke to Aurora earlier spoke once more. "Through the blade!" the voice overlapped with Aurora's voice.
Aurora stood up with determination.
"I'm sorry Armageddon but I was never really any good in the Saggeesian Royal Fencing Style. So I guess I'll show you the style I'm best at…The Dragonhӓart Fencing Style!" Aurora said as she made Reis' fighting stance.
"You are really testing my patience Aurora!" Armageddon roared as he too made Reis' fighting stance.
"Here I come!" he said as he charged to attack Aurora. Aurora charged towards him baring the Twin Saggeesian Sabres. She lifted her blades just as Armageddon lifted his sword and they clashed swords.