It was a dark and stormy day in the Eagle's Eye Guild and all over Saggeese. Sir Raphael watched the skies closely.
"There's something ominous about this storm. It's almost as though the enemy is expressing rage at having been found out and blinded" he thought to himself.
The boys and girls of the three teams and their masters were moved from tents to actual houses for their protection from the storm. Aurora lay on a bed busily reading.
"Hey Aurora, what's that? You've been reading that for a while now" Kyla asked.
"It's 'The Sleeping Dawn'. Reis gave it to me" Aurora said.
"The Sleeping Dawn? What's that?" Erasa asked.
"I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. It's actually a Novatian tale" Aurora said.
"Tell us, we'd like to hear it" Erasa pleaded.
Kyla nodded.
"Okay, here goes" Aurora said and began to narrate the tale.
"Once there was a king and queen who had a daughter after a long period of childlessness. At their daughter's christening, they invited a multitude of people among which were many magical beings. They named their daughter Aurora after the Dawn. Seven of these magical beings, faeries, were to be the godmothers of the child and six of them blessed her with the gifts of the virtues, grace, kindness, fortitude, beauty, song, dance and wit.
The only faerie who had not been invited was enraged and appeared at the ceremony. She affirmed that the child would indeed grow up to inherit the blessings the six faeries had bestowed upon her however, on her sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a weaver's spindle and die.
Everyone was horrified. However, it was the turn of the seventh faerie to bestow her gift. The seventh faerie had waited patiently, listening to the curse of this evil faerie. She realized she could not undo the curse but at best she could lessen its effects so she bestowed her gift to the child. The child would indeed prick her finger on a weaver's spindle but she would not die. She would fall into a deep sleep until she was awakened by a prince's show of true love.
To protect their daughter from the curse, the royal family burnt all weaver's spindles and handed the child over to be raised by the faeries. Thus the princess was severed from her true lineage until her sixteenth birthday when hopefully, the curse would have been averted.
Sixteen years later, she was returned to her parents. They were overjoyed to see her. However, while everyone's attention wandered from her, she climbed one of the castle's towers and chanced upon an old weaver working on her spindle. Pleading with her to be given the chance to spin, she did however…" Aurora paused.
In Niyansa's castle, Erikkus Di Devilli stood before a dark and sinister presence.
"We need to advance our plans now Armageddon. Most of the human troops we had under our control have defected to Aurora Saggeese's side. How could they even follow that…Princess. She is not even a warrior and she is not interested in liberating them!" Erikkus Di Devilli complained.
"I suppose it depends on your definition of 'liberation'. Alpha is surprisingly sly. Regardless, this futile defection should not impact our plans greatly after all…our true army…is not a human one" Armageddon said.
"I should be able to buy some time with the Greater Severing. The first severing severed Aurora Saggeese from her lineage and allowed us to gain control of Saggeese, the Greater Severing will isolate her from reality itself. She and anyone else that has trivial hopes of a peaceful Saggeese" Armageddon added.
"You intend to cause it to happen don't you? The Severing" Erikkus Di Devilli said.
"It is fitting that the Princess be beaten by what she treasures most is it not? Thus I have designed the Severing after the elements of 'The Sleeping Dawn'" Armageddon said.
"…as the evil faerie had cursed her, she pricked her finger on the weaver's spindle and fell into a deep slumber!" Erikkus Di Devilli declared.
Armageddon laughed vainly.
With a loud crack of lightning, a huge dome appeared all along the borders of Saggeese completely isolating it from the rest of the world.
"Incinerate all hope!" Armageddon declared with a sinister roar.
Within Reis' mind, Alpha stood waiting patiently.
"You're here Alpha" Reis said silently.
"I am but you need to hurry Reis! The Severing has already began. Find your predecessor and learn the significance of His Memoires! You need it to beat the Severing!" Alpha declared.
Reis shut his eyes. When he opened them, he found himself in Class Honours. Ayumi was singing a song with the rest of the class,
"Find your identity, don't let it go
The Seal is there within you
Know your Origins then let tears flow
Now find yourself, make sure you're free
You are My Kin, My Family
So find your truth, set yourself free
Now learn to breathe, open your eyes
And tear away the empty lies"
Ayumi sang. Everyone applauded her.
"It's a song I originally composed for Zan. There may be a lot of lies and illusions in the world but once you come to know yourself, your identity, who you truly are, all those lies crumble away for Truth dwells within the Human Soul" Ayumi explained.
"Truth dwells within the Human Soul" Reis repeated the words in deep thought. "I need to find Ryu" Reis said and headed to Kolmnid Farms.
Once in the farms, he heard the sound of a mysterious song being played on flutes. Seated on the rock in the farms was Ryu and he was singing. As Reis approached, he began to make out the words;
"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, rendered
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.
Timeless, without wind, without words, endlessly
My earlier nature was without value.
I cannot, it seems, define even my memories,
For things such as these I've never known.
A star, a tempest, an enormous vessel
Moving faster, yes, than the rays of Light.
A black hole comes and awakens my fears
The silent stars of the endless tears
Folded, ended, wheezy, returned
Silenced by this, the crew fade away.
I wake up the following day on a bed
To note that all my memories died.
Crescent, crossing, to hide or to find,
I cannot integrate this strange parameter
My past is lost, but I am here
And the stars keep shedding timeless tears.
An Eternal Wind with words unspoken
Indestructible, something from my past appears to be.
Memories, I know, cannot define things.
Though I am simple, it's hard to seek me out.
A star, a tempest, an enormous vessel,
Riding on the winds on an unstoppable quest,
A Black Hole arises, my fears fly,
To the inanimate stars, shedding unending tears.
Bended, ended, reaped, then returned,
They that were handed the Staff Of Silence Hidden.
On The Day Of Resurrection, on the bed called the Grave.
To find them all, my memories died.
The immigrant prevails, I seek His Face.
Though I cannot find meaning to this strange Spirit.
Formerly, I was lost, yes astray but I'm here,
And the stars guard His tears eternally"
Ryu sang.
"What is that song? It's so mysterious. I don't believe I've heard its kind before perhaps except for 'The Heart that Destroys Darkness' and Ayumi's 'My Kin, My Family'" Reis asked.
"Do you believe in primal memories Reis?" Ryu asked.
"Primal memories?" Reis asked curiously.
"Memories that seem to exist beyond a time you could remember, like a seal deeply etched into the human mind. A memory that isn't false but at the same time conflicts with everything you know about reality? This song is about such a memory. A collective memory of someone very important that my world had forgotten for millennia. It is named thus, 'Memoires of the Long Suffering God'" Ryu explained.
"That song is your memoires?" Reis asked in surprise.
"It speaks of the Heart and the one who represents 'Heart' in my world" Ryu said.
"The one who represents Heart" Reis repeated.
"In my world, we call him Ryuujinn. In yours I believe you call him Benedict. That name depicts the one known as the second person of the Tripartite God, the God of the Heart. Having come this far you should understand what 'The Heart that Destroys Darkness is'. You should understand the true nature of Benedict's Ark by now" Ryu said.
"It's not a ship or an Academy is it?" Reis asked.
"The Academy is an allegorical expression of its true nature. The true Benedict's Ark fuses various parts of your world into one powerful force; the force I believe you call Arӓlpheisl? The nature of Arӓlpheisl and Benedict are almost identical. You could call Arӓlpheisl the manifestation of Benedict's will" Ryu said.
"And what is Benedict's will?" Reis asked.
"You should know by now. After all…you possess the Seal of Arӓlpheisl. You should be able to recall now. The words the Kaignis King spoke to you on the night you met. You heard his voice though no one else did" Ryu said.
Slowly, Sabre-fang's voice began to echo within Reis' mind.
"When one possesses the Seal of Arӓlpheisl, he shall become Ryugaeia itself" Reis recalled.
"A heart exists for one purpose. From that you can deduce that the will of the Heart serves one purpose. You recall Arӓlpheisl's words don't you? The words only you could read" Ryu said.
"The will of the heart is the key to destiny? Wait a minute! You mean he was speaking of 'The Heart?' I thought he was speaking of a heart" Reis said.
"If the will of the Heart is the key to destiny Reis, then you should ask yourself why the Heart exists" Ryu said.
"To give life. That is the purpose of a heart. So you're telling me that the purpose of 'The Heart' is to give life?" Reis asked in awe.
"Surprisingly simple isn't it? That is precisely why one line in my memoires speaking of the Heart says 'Though I am simple, it's hard to seek me out'. A heart exists to give life. And when one is alive, they are not dead. The Heart exists to destroy the greatest manifestation of death. Armageddon itself and that is why the song your parents taught you is entitled 'The Heart That Destroys Darkness.' Arӓlpheisl appeared on your world that dark day to ensure that the dragons did not die out but he also appeared to bring the Heart to full manifestation. Galigaos and your foes; they believe Benedict's Ark to be the Academy or a ship and they are not completely wrong but the manifestation of Benedict's Ark was realized the moment the Dragons began to bond with humans. To quicken and serve as a catalyst to this bond is why Arӓlpheisl appeared on your world through you. Sharing what was once limited to a few select members of one guild with the rest of the world and thus creating the miracle called the Great Rebirth Of The Dragon Race. The Heart has already been born on Ryugaeia as the force known as 'Benedict's Ark'" Ryu said.
"You mean…The Guilds back home are the true Benedict's Ark?!" Reis exclaimed in surprise.
"What is the heart or rather who is the Heart; so fragile that it can be rended apart? Is the heart simply an organ to give life or is it a person? That is the meaning of the question posed in the first part of the song. One part strong and one part weak speaks of 'man' and 'woman', the forces through which the culture of the Ark and the Heart itself would be carried through generations on end manifested as a multitude of hearts being born through the union of man and woman. They also represent you Reis and Aurora Saggeese, the King and the Dawn. Together, you become the King's Dawn. Broken and Whole representing the 'Wisdom' of Ryugaeia broken by the usurper and the 'Light' of Ryugaeia which remains mankind's greatest fort against the forces of Darkness. Yes, the kingdoms of Saggeese and Novatio. Origins and Endings represent the two Dragon Sovereigns, Alpha and Omega. Alpha marked the beginning of your journey. His call was what summoned you to the Ranger's Guild and Omega marks the beginning to the end of your journey. He appeared with your sister on the Day Of Arӓlpheisl's awakening which marked the end of the night and the beginning of the Dawn. Finally 'Human' and 'Divine' represent the 'Dragons' who represent the elements of Ryugaeia and the 'Dragon Rangers' with whom this power is shared. These are the final fragments of Arӓlpheisl. Remember this Reis Dragonhaӓrt, to triumph against the darkness, you must awaken 'The Sleeping Dawn'" Ryu said.
Reis shut his eyes. When he opened them he found himself in a familiar setting. Everything was so familiar, the sights, the sounds and the scents.
"Are you finally up Reis?" he heard a familiar voice.
He turned around. His grandfather was staring at him.
"Gramps!" Reis exclaimed in joy and run to hug his grandfather. "I just had the weirdest and longest dream of my life!" Reis said.
His grandfather knocked him on the head.
"Ouch! What was that for gramps?!" Reis asked.
"I've taught you better boy. That was no dream. There are far too many tremendous gaps in my memory and tons of things that don't connect. I'm sure you feel it too that…" Reis grandfather was saying when Reis interrupted.
Shin awakened and found himself in a cave with the rest of the Maelstrom Zero Nine.
"One! He's up!" Two exclaimed happily.
Shin sat up.
"Where's Erasa?" he asked.
"Are you still harping on about that Dragon Ranger?!" One exclaimed in anger.
"Dragon Ranger? What's a Dragon Ranger?" Three asked.
"Are you for real?! Don't be silly, I'm a Dragon Ranger too!" Shin exclaimed.
"Are you still talking in your sleep? You can't be a Dragon Ranger because Dragons don't exist. It's all child's tales!" One exclaimed. "I don't even know why I said that" she said.
"There's something off. They don't even seem to know what a Dragon Ranger is and bits of my past are messed up. It's starting to feel like I lived two drastically different lives" Shin thought. "There's only one explanation…" Shin thought.
A distance off in another location in Saggeese, Reia had woken up. Jared had disappeared and there were no rangers with her. She found herself with her mother instead.
"Omega…" she thought silently.
"I don't need to say anything Reia. You know without a doubt that…" Omega began to say.
"THIS IS AN ILLUSION!" Reis, Reia and Shin declared together.
At once they were awakened from their sleep. Reis found Sir Raphael standing over him watching closely.
"It would appear the enemy launched a massive pre-emptive in his favour" Sir Raphael said.
"What's going on?" Reis asked.
"We are trapped in Saggeese, completely isolated from the rest of the world by a dome with the ability to induce hallucinations and everyone is caught in a kingdom wide sleep spell. I believe that is the nature of the scheme the enemy has so fondly named the Severing" Sir Raphael said.
Reis opened his eyes in horror.
"How are my friends…Aurora!" Reis exclaimed and ran into the room where the boys were sleeping.
He found Shin staring at Darak and looking very solemn.
Reis ran to Darak and shook him violently.
"Hey Darak! Wake up!" he called.
Darak sat up and stared at Reis in anger.
"Reis…really?" he said with a raised eyebrow.
"Wait a sec. You were not affected by the Severing?" Reis asked.
"The Severing?" Darak repeated.
"You didn't happen to have a dream of the life you lived before you joined the guild did you?" Reis asked.
"No, I had a rather normal dream thank you" Darak seemed annoyed by Reis' questions.
"Then Erasa…" Shin thought.
"And Aurora might be alright!" Reis exclaimed.
"What are you guys talking about?" Darak yelled.
Shin and Reis ignored him and ran to the girls' room. Erasa lay on the floor beside Aurora as though she had drifted into sleep without noticing. Kyla lay beside Aurora and Erasa and Aurora lay on the bed with 'The Sleeping Dawn' resting over her heart.
"Erasa! Kyla!" Shin shook them gently.
Erasa shook her head and woke up.
"What's up Shin? Why are you so frantic?" she said with a laugh.
Kyla woke up as well.
"Why are you waking me up in the middle of the night idiot?!" Kyla yelled.
"Thank goodness" Reis and Shin sighed in relief.
Darak was still puzzled. Reis tapped Aurora gently. There was no response. He tapped a little harder. There was still no response. He shook Aurora.
"Aurora! Aurora!" he called.
He began to panic.
"Aurora!" the others called but she was lost in deep slumber.
"I don't understand. We all woke up. Why didn't she?" Reis looked worried.
"Is she…you know…alive?" Shin gulped, terrified of the very thought.
Reis checked Aurora's breathing.
"Yeah, she's still breathing but very slowly" Reis said. "I don't understand. We all woke up so why didn't she?" Reis looked worried.
"That is because she is the target of the curse. The curse has been designed to target her birthright as the Princess of Saggeese and to sever her from it. It's also meant to sever her from anyone faithful to her as a subject of the Saggeesian throne. The reason you were not affected is most likely because you are not Saggeesian" Sir Raphael reasoned.
"But I am Saggeesian" Reis said.
"And I am not. If what you said is true Reis, then these dreams we had about the lives we lived before we joined the guild are symptoms of the Severing in effect" Shin reasoned.
"So Reis is a Saggeesian who broke out of the Severing and Shin is a Novatian who was affected by the Severing. You two sure are a bunch of oddballs" Darak said.
"But if what you say is true, why was I able to break free of the Severing?" Reis asked Sir Raphael.
"And why was I affected in the first place if I am not even Saggeesian?" Shin asked.
"You two certainly are oddballs but if I were to venture a guess, it's most likely because you are both bonded to one of the Dragon Sovereigns. The Dragon Sovereigns are indeed capable of such miracles" Sir Raphael said.
"How did you guys wake up anyway?" Darak asked.
"It was thanks to my gramps. He somehow seemed to perceive that it was an illusion" Reis said.
"Wow, your family sure is amazing Reis. I wonder what other secrets you have" Kyla said in a tone that showed that she wasn't really surprised.
"In my case, everything I knew in the Severing conflicted with the truths I know in reality. It made it seem as though I had lived two completely contrasting lives in one lifetime…literally" Shin said.
"Is there a way to end this?" Reis asked.
"The simplest way perhaps would be to awaken Aurora Saggeese since she is the target of the curse and might most likely be acting as the point of contact" Sir Raphael said.
"If this curse…this Severing is affecting only Saggeesians, I'm willing to bet the only rangers awake now are those sent from Novatio. Did the Dragonlord anticipate this?" Shin wondered.
"If he did, he should have sent a greater number of rangers" Darak said.
"He sent you, the ones he refers to as 'The Fated Ones'. Instead of prioritizing numbers, he sent the one force he believes can rival Armageddon's malice. You should have more faith in yourselves, he has a lot of faith in you" Sir Raphael said.
"Is there a way to infiltrate the Severing?" Reis suddenly asked with an uncharacteristically serious look.
"There probably is or you would not have been able to escape it in the first place. Alpha should be able to help you" Sir Raphael said.
"H-Hey Reis, you're not possibly thinking…" Shin was saying when Reis cut him off.
"Yes Shin, I'm going to infiltrate the Severing and awaken Aurora and everyone else trapped within it" Reis said.
"Waking Aurora up should be enough to break the spell" Sir Raphael said.
Reis nodded.