Reis felt restless in bed. He couldn't sleep and it was partly because he hadn't yet thought of a way to make it up to Aurora. He sat up and thought deeply.
"What can I do to help Aurora feel better about recent events?" Reis wondered as he got out of bed and opened his wardrobe.
"I haven't got any money for presents so I guess…" Reis was saying as he searched his satchel.
Suddenly, six tickets fell out of his satchel.
"What's this?" Reis wondered as he picked up one of the tickets and read it.
"Ah! I remember! Old Lady Kamikaze gave these to me as a thank you gift" Reis said with a smile.
"I guess I just found a way of making it up to Aurora…but I don't think it'll be fun if it's just us so I'll invite Darak, Shin, Kyla and Erasa!" Reis laughed.
Meanwhile in Team Kira's residence, Aurora was having a hard time sleeping as well. She sat up and turned on the lights. She picked up Reis' bandanna which she had kept with her from the Lake Of Kagua Beasts. She stared at it and smiled. Then she shook her head as if waking up from a dream and placed the bandanna down.
"I can't. I promised Sir Jinrai that I'd take care of his son and fill the void left by his absence" Aurora thought.
"But Sir Jinrai also asked me to follow my heart" Aurora argued with herself. "No Aurora, stop making excuses for yourself. Sir Jinrai dedicated his life to protecting you and your family. The least you can do is to take care of his son" Aurora argued with her conscience. "But what of Reis?" a voice questioned her. Aurora thought for a while and came to a decision. "Reis and I can be nothing more than friends" Aurora decided.
Morning soon arrived. In the Ayenhayze residence…well, you can pretty much guess what was happening.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!!!" Kyla banged the pan lids.
"CRIMSON MOON KAIGNIS…!" Reis leapt out of bed impulsively and charged towards Kyla.
Kyla simply smashed the pan lid in his face without even turning to look at him. He fell to the ground and opened his eyes.
"Good. One down, one to…" Kyla was saying when Shin opened his eyes.
"Don't bother Kyla…I'm up" Shin said glumly.
"What's wrong Shin?" Kyla asked worriedly.
"I'm not feeling too good" Shin said.
"Are you sick?" Kyla asked.
Shin shook his head emotionlessly.
"Oh don't tell me you're lovesick again?!" Kyla exclaimed angrily.
"I'm not in the mood for an early morning argument Kyla. I think the fufu just didn't sit well yesterday" Shin tried to force a smile.
"Heh heh, I'm so beginning to love fufu" Reis chuckled evilly.
"Shut up idiot! At least I didn't throw up!" Shin yelled.
"Sheesh, no need to take it personally" Reis said nervously.
"Sorry Reis. I shouldn't be lashing out at you" Shin apologized.
"Hey Shin. What do you think of an all you can eat invitation to Old Lady Kamikaze's?" Reis said slyly.
"What?! Are you serious?!" Shin exclaimed in shock.
Reis raised the tickets.
"Voila! So what d'ya think. Come on, I know you want it huh? Huh? Come on Shin, give me a smile, huh? Or do I have to tickle you" Reis teased.
Shin began to laugh.
"That's more like it, I'll give you two so you can invite Erasa, how's that?" Reis asked.
Shin smiled.
"Thanks Reis, you're the best!" Shin said.
Meanwhile, in Team Kira's residence, Aurora and Darak had prepared for classes.
"So do you want to tell me what happened?" Darak asked.
"What do you mean?" Aurora asked.
"Reis awoke suddenly yesterday and said part of him was dying and Shin almost couldn't sense your Aura" Darak said coolly.
Aurora felt uncomfortable.
"I don't want to talk about it" Aurora said nervously.
"Fine, fine, you can keep quiet about it if that makes you feel better" Darak sighed, "but I honestly hope you didn't try to do anything stupid".
"Heheh, I guess not" Aurora chuckled nervously.
Mistress Kira walked down the stairs with a serious look on her face.
"Aurora, I need to talk to you privately, let's go outside" Mistress Kira said as she led Aurora to the backyard.
"Oh no! I hope she didn't find out that I nearly drowned yesterday" Aurora thought worriedly.
"You nearly drowned in the Lake Of Kagua Beasts yesterday didn't you?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Oh no! She did find out!" Aurora thought in horror.
"M-Mistress Kira…I…" Aurora tried to apologize.
"Don't even try to deny it! I found your wet clothes among the laundry!" Mistress Kira scolded.
"It's true. But it wasn't my intention to drown, honestly! Something pulled me beneath the surface of the lake" Aurora confessed.
"But it was utterly foolish of you to swim there at night in the first place. If Reis hadn't saved you, you'd have been dead by now and we both know that with Jared gone, preserving your own life is vital!" Mistress Kira scolded her.
Aurora lowered her head in shame.
"I know" Aurora said glumly.
"But I don't blame you for risking your life because you believed that Reis was going to die. It was foolish…but it proves one thing…you've probably realized it by now" Mistress Kira said in a calmer tone.
Aurora opened her eyes in surprise.
"Aurora, Jinrai…was not a shallow man. Don't be surprised if what you're fighting against is the same as what you want and what you want is the object of your promise" Mistress Kira said mysteriously. "Besides, I have my own suspicions".
"What are you suspicious about?" Aurora asked.
"I just told you not to take me seriously. Prepare for classes" Mistress Kira said as she walked into the house.
"Mistress Kira is such a mysterious person. I've known her since I was seven but it feels sometimes as though I don't know her at all" Aurora thought.
Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence, Captain Hiru had arrived from HQ with a message.
"Jin, the Dragonlord requests Reis' presence immediately" Captain Hiru informed Master Jin.
"Me?! What for?!" Reis exclaimed in shock.
"Honestly Reis, I don't know" Captain Hiru said.
"I hope it's not to kill me!" Reis trembled at the thought.
Captain Hiru glanced at Master Jin who in turn shrugged his shoulders ignorantly.
"What would give you that idea?" Captain Hiru asked.
"I could sense his intentions with my nature abilities" Reis explained.
"What do you mean by…nature abilities?" Master Jin asked.
"Yeah, Darak mentioned something about you gaining new powers" Shin added.
Reis sighed.
"It's a long story" he said.
"Suzuna's given her report as well. I'm sure the Dragonlord wants to know your version" Captain Hiru reasoned.
"Hmm, that's a problem see? I'm no good at narrating stories" Reis sighed.
"Heh heh, so there's finally something Reis isn't good at" Shin chuckled evilly.
"I didn't think it would be something so trivial" Kyla said with a funny look on her face.
"Hey guys! I'm right here you know?!" Reis yelled.
He was offended.
"It's a weakness we must capitalize on!" Shin laughed more evilly.
"Absolutely!" Kyla agreed.
"Well Reis, you heard Hiru, you've already had breakfast so I guess we should head for HQ" Master Jin suggested.
"I guess…Kyla, Shin, take the lead, I'll see you in school" Reis said.
"When you come…be prepared to narrate everything that happened on that mission and leave no details out. Heh Heh! Hahaha! Mwahahaha!!!" Kyla and Shin laughed evilly as they left.
"Oh boy, I've got a problem" Reis sighed as he left with Master Jin and Captain Hiru.
"Reis…Thank you for saving Erasa. She told me everything" Captain Hiru said gratefully.
"Don't mention it" Reis said nervously.
"So you saved Erasa" Master Jin said.
"But what bugs me is that…it happened before Reis gained his nature powers and Reis has no dragon abilities. So I'm wondering how he managed to heal Erasa" Captain Hiru said.
"Don't think too much about it Hiru. Reis is full of surprises" Master Jin attempted to hide the fact that Reis had powers that seemed independent of the dragons.
Soon, they stood at the door that led to the Dragonlord's chambers.
"Good luck Reis" Master Jin said as he tapped Reis' back.
"Let's get to work, Hiru" Master Jin said as they left Reis at the door.
Reis sighed and opened the door, then he walked in. As usual, the Dragonlord sat on the throne with his hands clasped together in front of his mouth. Reis felt as though the Dragonlord was peering into the depths of his soul.
"You called for me sir?" Reis said nervously.
"I can't believe that you, a kid actually sealed Armageddon who is as old as darkness itself" the Dragonlord said seriously.
"Well it's his fault for making me angry" Reis murmured.
The Dragonlord laughed very much to Reis' surprise.
"I nearly had you killed you know but your colleagues believed in your strength" the Dragonlord said.
"I know…and I'm glad. I don't want to hurt anybody so I guess you tried to protect the guild and the dragons. It was your duty as Dragonlord" Reis said respectfully.
The Dragonlord stood up and walked towards Reis.
"I know that. But to tell you the truth, I'd very much prefer to avoid making such a decision again so I have a request to make of you" the Dragonlord said with a smile.
"It is my duty to obey you sir" Reis said.
"I'm glad to hear that. I want you to protect your friends from Armageddon's wrath, especially Aurora. You may have realized that…she's your strength" the Dragonlord said.
Reis was taken aback by that statement. He thought back to his fight with Armageddon.
"I admit I felt immensely stronger when she showed me kindness" Reis admitted.
"Yep, that's how it is…but you must also realize that there is a thin line between love and hate, Light and Darkness. It's such a thin line most believe it's imaginary. To the Darkness, love is weakness and hatred is strength. You may have realized that from the darkness dwelling within you. However you've got an edge against Armageddon" the Dragonlord said.
"And that is?" Reis inquired.
"A heart full of hatred and darkness cannot understand the kind of power that comes from loving another" the Dragonlord said.
Reis looked puzzled.
"You'll understand with time" the Dragonlord sighed.
"Y-Yes sir" Reis said nervously.
"You can return to school now" the Dragonlord said.
"Yes sir" Reis said and turned to leave.
"You've got a lot to learn young Dragonhaӓrt but you're closer now to Arӓlpheisl than you've ever been" the Dragonlord thought.
Reis was out of the Temple.
"I wonder what the Dragonlord meant when he spoke about the power that comes from loving another. Sounds like something from a romance novel" Reis thought, then he realized the time.
"Oh man! I'm late!" he exclaimed and sped to the school grounds.
He reduced his speed when he was quite close to the school. He could hear joyful noises coming from the school compound so he deduced that it was the period of the first break. Immediately he walked into the school compound, there was utter silence. Students in his way moved out of the way. Most of them wanted to be as far away from him as possible. Reis greeted one of the girls from his class but she nervously excused herself and ran off. He tried greeting the boys but they nervously replied saying, "Take it easy on us Reis…not all of us are as strong as you are" then they walked away.
Reis was saddened by their attitude towards him.
"I knew it. They're scared…of me. Damn it!" Reis growled in anguish and ran into his classroom looking around nervously for a place to sit.
Every desk had a satchel on it.
Erasa's bag was on a desk paired with two other desks.
"Even Erasa's got a seat. She'll probably be sitting with Ethan and Effuien now that they're back and the class has no more space for another desk meaning…" Reis gulped at the thought and shook his head.
He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed Aurora's presence. Aurora stood behind Reis, staring at him. Reis looked sad and distressed and indecisive. He just kept banging his fist on Kyla's desk. This was a side of Reis Aurora had never seen before. It made her feel sad.
"Reis looks…lonely" Aurora thought as she remembered how the other students tried to avoid Reis.
At that time, she stood a distance away watching Reis' frantic efforts to be friendly.
"Hey Dragonhaӓrt!" Aurora called rudely.
Reis turned to stare at her in surprise.
"Stop looking so miserable! It's such a pitiful sight for goodness sake!" Aurora scolded.
"Easy for you to say…nobody wants me around" Reis said sadly.
Aurora smiled.
"Reis…you can put your bag there" Aurora said as she pointed to Jared's desk.
Reis was surprised.
"Are you sure?" Reis said nervously.
"That thing looks so pitiful with no one sitting on it. Jared was a cheerful guy so I'll allow you to sit there but on one condition" Aurora said seriously.
"And that is?" Reis questioned.
"Cheer up. That's my condition. If you keep feeling morose, I'll never allow you to sit on Jared's desk" Aurora said.
Reis smiled sheepishly.
"Aha ha ha ha ha! How's that, am I cheerful enough?" Reis laughed dryly.
"That's honestly the most horrid form of laughter I've ever heard but I guess you pass" Aurora said with a smile.
Reis smiled happily.
"Thank you Aurora. Honestly" Reis said gratefully as he walked to Jared's desk.
Suddenly, the bell was tolled for break over and the students began to rush to class. Darak soon walked in and saw Reis and Aurora chatting happily. He smiled silently.
"I guess it can't be helped" he said as he walked to his desk and sat down.
Other classmates who saw this were surprised.
"Am I seeing things? Is Aurora who hated Reis, really allowing him…to sit on Jared's desk?" one girl asked a boy who stood beside her.
"It really is surprising" the boy replied.
Meanwhile Reis removed three 'all you can eat' tickets and showed them to Darak and Aurora.
"So what do you guys think of an 'all you can eat' invitation to Old Lady Kamikaze's?" Reis asked with a smile.
"Where did you get these?" Aurora asked as she took one and handed the other to Darak.
"Old Lady Kamikaze gave me six so I invited Shin, Kyla and Erasa" Reis said with a laugh.
"Sounds like a party" Darak said as he examined the ticket closely.
"It's genuine" Reis assured them.
"So what are your motives for inviting us? Are you planning some twisted form of revenge?" Darak asked suspiciously.
"Hey, hey, I never had such a thing in mind. Not everyone is as evil as you you know?" Reis said with a bored look on his face.
"Heh, I guess not" Darak said with a sinister smile.
Aurora giggled.
"It's just like when Jared was around, right Darak?" Aurora asked.
Darak was taken by surprise.
"Well, I never thought of it that way but now that you mention it, Reis kinda acts like Jared" Darak admitted.
"M-me? Really?" Reis asked.
"Yeah, I remember that idiot used to make the Kagua-serpentia mad, then he'd play with it till it was exhausted but…he never seemed to see it as a threat" Darak said with a nostalgic expression on his face.
"What of you?" Reis asked.
"I'd have killed the damn thing if it was up to me!" Darak said with a smirk.
"Aiiiee! He's in evil mode 2!" Reis thought. "But I guess I've decided to let the Kagua-serpentia live…as a tribute to Jared" Darak said.
"You know, Jared and Evil Eghan were pretty close too. I could say that Jared was the only true friend Evil Eghan ever had. Most of our classmates fear Evil Eghan but Jared didn't" Aurora said sadly.
"How did they become friends?" Reis asked.
"The same way you and Darak became friends, by fighting" Aurora said.
"Right, I know what to do now" Reis said as he stood up.
"Huh?" Aurora and Darak stared at him in surprise.
"LISTEN UP EVERYONE! I REIS DRAGONHAӒRT CHALLENGE YOU GUYS TO A FIGHT!" Reis declared.
"YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!" Kyla yelled angrily.
"ARE YOU PLANNING ON MAKING EVERYONE IN THIS ENTIRE CLASS YOUR ENEMY?!" Shin added.
"I ACCEPT!" Darak suddenly stood up.
"Huh? Darak, please calm down" Aurora pleaded.
"I ACCEPT!" Evil Eghan stood up.
"So do we!" Cudjoe and Dossou stood up.
"Well I guess it can't be helped…Kyla?" Shin asked.
"Yes Shin, let's do this!" Kyla accepted the challenge.
"Then so do I!" Aurora declared.
"And I" "And I" "Yes, me too!" "Better not regret this Dragonhaart!" "Reis is so dead now!" "He will see! He will perish!" "Gbeiwa!" "Kikiliki Kill it!" more sounds of acceptance came and eventually, the entire class accepted the challenge.
When Mistress Kira entered the class, the entire class was empty save for the satchels of the students.
"What's going on?" she asked herself when suddenly she began to hear noises coming from the school field.
When she looked out the window, what she saw shocked her. Reis was surrounded by his classmates and everyone had one expression on their faces…
"KILL IT!" (Where "it" refers to Reis).
Reis looked around him. The other students had sinister expressions on their faces.
"It must die!" one boy muttered angrily.
"It be foolish to challenge us!" Dossou muttered angrily.
"It must prepare for the great beyond!" a boy called Sika growled angrily.
"Oh no! Not the last airbender!" all the students exclaimed in horror and before they knew it, the air was polluted by toxic gases.
(Gases produced by Sika's digestive system I mean).
"Hey Author! Stop interfering in this story! It's my story after all!" Reis yelled angrily.
"WHAT?! IT CAN HEAR THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS?! THIS IS CRAZY!" Evil Eghan exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, but it disrespected the author! It must be killed!" the students yelled as they tightened the circle.
"H-hey guys…" Reis tried to calm them down.
"Don't even try to talk your way out of this!" the students yelled together as they charged on Reis and surrounded him.
Reis could no longer be seen by Mistress Kira. Instead, blows could be heard along with stomps.
"H-hey guys…don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Reis pleaded with a nervous laugh.
"That's why we said…" Dossou began,
"Don't try to talk your way out of this!" all the students chorused together.
Mistress Kira smiled.
"Hey guys, take it easy on me okay?" she recalled Jared's plea.
"That's why we said…don't try to talk your way out of this!" she recalled the other students' words.
She recalled herself rushing to end the fight. It felt nostalgic watching the replay of the fight. "If words…" she began to say along with Jared's memory
"Cannot end this fight…" Reis continued unaware that he was repeating Jared's words.
"Then fighting will!" Reis said along with Mistress Kira and Jared's memory.
"HYAAAH!" Reis yelled as he released an enormous amount of energy from his body.
The other students fell to the ground and Reis was seen standing in their midst. Reis looked around. The other students stared at him in surprise. Reis thought it was because of the power he had just displayed but when Aurora said,
"Just like Jared"
The other students smiled as they recalled Jared breaking through them with exactly the same words.
"We have lost our comrades but the God Of The Heart has given us a new comrade. Consider this a blessing and treat him as one of us, for in times of great darkness we will look to him for light" they recalled the Dragonlord's words during the dead rangers' memorial service.
At that time, they all hated Reis.
"Maybe…" Evil Eghan began to say.
"Just maybe" Dossou and Cudjoe added.
"We never lost Jared!" they all exclaimed together.
Aurora stared at them in surprise.
"Did the same Reis I hated because of Jared's death remind the entire class of the bond they shared with Jared?" Aurora asked herself.
At that point, the students were finding it difficult to hold back their tears.
"If this is the case…then next is…!" the students declared as they released their aura!