A WEEK LATER AT NIGHT…IN INNOVAIN'S CASTLE, FERUS VILLAGE, THE CONTINENT OF IRON
Innovain had summoned his most loyal henchman, Ysmann. They were in the Throne Room Of Innovain's Castle.
"Why have you summoned me my lord?" Ysmann asked.
"According to Souryu, five of his generals have been defeated and are now a part of his strength. Compared to my last battle with Edgar Fencer, Souryu is now five times stronger" Innovain said.
"Then it appears that everything is going according to Souryu's plan?" Ysmann asked.
"That…is the problem. Until a week ago, Souryu knew with absolute certainty that the phoenix brats and the Seven Masters would face an overwhelming defeat once their futile quest was completed and all Seven Generals were defeated. However, roughly a week ago, Souryu sensed a sudden shift in the balance of power between good and evil. It has left him disturbed. This disturbance, Souryu believes could have only been triggered by a Bane, an inheritor of the Phoenix's Mind. I believe your son, Ysmann, may have sealed an almost irreparable damage to our plans" Innovain's eyes narrowed.
Ysmann stared unflinchingly at Innovain.
"You seem rather unconcerned considering the fact that your son's fate currently hangs on a rather precarious balance" Innovain said.
"He sealed his fate the moment he made himself into your adversary" Ysmann said calmly.
"Well spoken. Your heartlessness is certainly most commendable. I am certain that the phoenix brats and the Seven Masters will eventually confront Syren. I entrust you with the task of ending their futile quest once that moment arrives" Innovain said.
"If I may ask…what was the cause of this sudden shift in the balance of power Souryu sensed a week ago?" Ysmann asked seriously.
"Its nature was quite obscure but Souryu described it as a heralding of sorts" Innovain said.
"A heralding of what?" Ysmann asked.
"A heralding of the rebirth of Souryu's ancient archnemesis" Innovain said grimly.
MEANWHILE…DAWN…IN THE CASTLE OF AVALON…
The king of Avalon had gathered with his ministers as well as knights, musicians, interpreters of literature, scientists and engineers. Jo-lan was also present amongst them. The scientists spoke first, describing Harry's conceptual diagram of 'The Mutating Several Layered Zone Of Absolute Defense' in literal and scientific terms. The engineers contributed their ideas as well.
"I understand this concept vaguely however, from my talks with Dr. Albane, I believe there may be more than a literal or scientific meaning to this concept" the king said.
"That is true" one of the musicians present spoke up.
"You seem to have some ideas regarding the concept" the king asked.
"Indeed. When I heard the scientists and engineers describe the concept, two things came to mind" the representative of the musicians spoke up.
"Two things?" the king asked.
"The first is the principle behind the operation of a musical organ. You understand how one works. By passing air through pipes depending on which keys are pressed, unique sounds are generated. The combination of these unique sounds produce music and some keys can be combined to produce harmony" the representative of the musicians spoke up. "What was most fascinating to me was the fact that our musical forms here in Avalon are composed on a scale of eight musical notes. Furthermore, a rainbow as this diagram of the concept portrays is an arc of seven unique colours" he said.
"I understand your explanation of the principle behind the operation of a musical organ however it sounds as though you were attempting to compare our musical scales to a rainbow. I still cannot grasp what the seven colours of the rainbow have in common with our eight musical notes" the king said.
"We thought so too your highness…that was until we got the interpreters of literature involved" the representative of the musicians said.
The representative of the interpreters stepped forward.
"Allow me to make a brief contribution to your knowledge your majesty" the interpreter said respectfully.
"Go ahead" the king gestured to him to continue.
"See your majesty, the problem is not the fact that there are seven colours and eight musical notes. The problem is that the rainbow is made up of an arc of Seven Colours, a single arc, your majesty, implying that the entire arc in itself is a single colour. A colour formed from the combination of Seven Colours implying in hindsight…an eighth colour" the interpreter explained.
"I see. Rather fascinating" the king appeared to think deeply on these words.
Then he spoke.
"What was the second thing that came to your mind when you heard of the concept?" the king asked the representative of the musicians.
"It was a musical orchestra your majesty. That idea is expressed in the conducting rods which conduct lightning into each layer of the arc and the afterimages that respond to this conduction by adjusting the wavelengths of the ionized air in each layer of the arc. In a musical orchestra, the conductor directs the musicians with gestures of his hand and body. These gestures determine the rhythm, pitch and tempo of the music. The musicians react to these gestures and regardless of the differences in their musical instruments, they are able to create harmony, a single song formed from the combination of multiple instruments, played by multiple musicians at multiple speeds, with multiple pitches. From what I have said, you can infer that in a musical orchestra, the most important factor is communication. Regardless of race, nationality, or culture, all musicians generally understand the gestures of the conductor. They all also understand the written form of the music they play thus a common medium of communication is necessary. A medium of communication all the musicians can understand" the representative of the musicians explained.
"I see" the king said.
There were murmurs of excitement from everyone present.
"This is all beginning to sound rather impressive. Is that all?" the king asked.
"No, your majesty. We discussed the concept with your knights as well and that was when we realized that…the concept has both military and diplomatic applications as well" the representative of the interpreters said.
"Explain" the king motioned to the Captain Of The Knights.
"Your majesty, taking into consideration the lessons learnt from the ideas of the musicians, scientists, engineers and interpreters, we have decided that it is vital that we establish a common medium of communication with our allies. We need to appoint sentries who will act as conducting rods. A common medium of communication to allow them to communicate any significant event especially problems any of our allies may be facing to coordinators who will be waiting to receive their responses like the afterimages within the arc layers do and to render judgements and decisions in response to these problems, the implementation of these decisions acting in like manner as the layers of ionized air that can be altered in wavelength depending on the wavelength of the lightning that hits the rods. Thus I suggest the formation of an alliance made up of representatives from every major city within each of the seven continents. We still have to decide on a common medium of communication though. We also need to implement a top down hierarchy which at the top contains representatives from each continent and at the bottom has sentries to report every significant event up the chain of command" the Captain of the Knights advised.
"However, concerning the medium of communication we need to adopt, I believe it is vital that it be a form of communication incomprehensible to our foes. That might be a bit difficult to come up with though" the Captain Of The Knights said.
"Regarding that subject, there is one language I know of that I am certain will be incomprehensible to our foes. In fact, from my point of view, there is only one foe we must really be concerned about. It is a language that can be understood not only by allies but potential allies as well, however it is utterly incomprehensible to our foe because it is antithetical to the nature of our foe" Jo-lan said.
"Really? That is convenient" the king said. "What is this language?" he asked.
"The language of Jo-lan" Jo-lan said seriously.
"Jo-lan…as in the myths concerning the Crimson Phoenix and the Black Dragon? If you had told me this roughly two years ago, I would not have believed you however we, the citizens of Avalon witnessed firsthand the destruction wrought on Avalon by Anubis and Asmodeus" the king said. "How do we learn this language?" he asked.
"The Phoenix Clan has a library filled with books containing this language however, your majesty, this library is a hidden library and the Phoenix Clan currently inhabit Hidden Villages. They cannot be located easily however there are people with links to the Phoenix Clan. I could have one of them write to the Phoenix Clan requesting books from their Hidden Library" Jo-lan said.
"Is this language difficult to learn and understand?" the king asked.
"It is not a foreign language your majesty however it is a language of the Heart. One's understanding of the language is dependent on the state of one's heart which is why I said it is a language that can be understood by allies and potential allies but is incomprehensible to our foe" Jo-lan informed the king.
"I leave it to you then to acquire the books containing the said language" the king said to Jo-lan.
Jo-lan bowed respectfully. With this, the gathering came to an end.
MEANWHILE…NIGHT…IN THE CONTINENT OF DESERTS…
Josec, Harry, Buern, Estelle and Jason prepared to sleep.
"Last week's dream sure was intense wasn't it Buern, Harry?" Josec asked.
"Yeah, I still can't shake it off my mind. According to Ryu, we will be called into the Ark tonight as well" Buern said.
"Originally, these visions began with Josec and he alone could see them. They mostly tended to occur right before a confrontation with a General of Souryu and right before their defeat. It was right around the time we prepared to battle Aesakal that the three of us first experienced a dream in unison" Buern said.
"However, when we take into consideration the rapid increase in the scale of these dreams and all the revelations that have come to light since then, I get the feeling that there is some connotation of an increasing sense of urgency. I feel that whatever we're meant to do, we must do quickly" Harry noted.
"When you put it like that, it does make a strange sort of sense" Estelle noted.
Then the students slowly fell asleep.
Once more, they found themselves in the grassy plain at night. Above them was the brilliant white moon. Then as they watched, the shadow of the Great Ship moved slowly across the moon.
In the next moment, they felt the great force of attraction acting on them, pulling them towards the Great Ship. They found themselves in the Farms in a flash. Before them, Ryu stood patiently.
"I've been waiting for you" Ryu greeted.
"We're here Ryu. What did you want to show us?" Josec asked.
"Tonight, I will show you the history of the second world which's history has aligned with my homeworld's and another world's and which's past is currently aligning with your homeworld's present" Ryu said.
The three students nodded in assent.
THE HISTORY OF DREAMS AND REALITY…
"The History you are about to witness began with a confrontation, a confrontation between Truth and Lies…a confrontation between 'The Destroyer Of Lies' and 'The King Of Lies'" Ryu said as the scene within the ark slowly transitioned.
The three students suddenly found themselves in a strange unfamiliar land. The scene felt very familiar to Josec though he could not tell why. As the three students watched, they noticed a gigantic rhinoceros with a terrifying horn rampaging the land forcing many who lived peaceful sedentary lives into nomads.
As the three students watched, they noticed a man confront the rhinoceros.
"Let me show you the power of the culture you call primitive!" the man called out.
His face was clouded in shadow yet his eyes glowed crimson. Around him was a force that resembled a crimson flame and then sacred lines appeared on his face. The man grabbed the rhinoceros by its tail to slow down its assault.
"I admit humans may be weak but if you're going to terrorize us in the likeness of a beast; then you've already lost!" the man said as he leapt into the air with the agility of a monkey just as the rhino turned on him and attempted to trample him.
"Gravity is my friend; but the strength in your body will turn it into your foe" the man said as he landed on the rhinoceros and raised his arm.
"Your flesh is almost impenetrable; my arm weak; but in the land where man and nature dwell in harmony, battling my weakness is battling nature!" the man said as he thrust his hand into the body of the rhinoceros.
The rhino screamed and attempted to shake him off. The force of its berserk rage threw him off its back. The man smirked.
"When you did that…bet you never heard of acceleration" the man said as he removed a grappling hook from his clothes and threw it towards the rhino.
The hook pierced it. The man thrust himself towards it. He unsheathed a blade as he neared it and sliced off the rhino's horn. He thrust his sword into its body but the rhino's body appeared unharmed. The man landed with his back to the rhino and then he spoke.
"I hear you are named Ziri which in my dialect means 'Lies'. I shall tell you of my name now. In some cultures, I am referred to as Nightbane; 'Bane Of The Dark'. However, my clansmen refer to me as 'Sanziri' which means 'The Destroyer Of Lies'. Remember now how long you've lived and yet regardless of how much your conceited knowledge has informed you about mankind; there still exist cultures who do not defy nature but befriend it and hence learn the laws of nature and prosper through them. We do not attempt to replicate nature by destroying what is already in nature and so we remain primitive. Our land is a harsh one; a land without sea, where the sun is scorching. A land though where wildlife roams free. A land without most of the benefits of electricity, yet the stars and the moon shine brighter in the darkness of our land than in the lights of the lands you are familiar with. Our culture may seem primitive to you but in your conceitedness, you were defeated by a primitive culture; a culture from 'The Land Of The Dagara'. The House Of My Tribe to which I am affiliated bears the totem of the Lion; King Of The Forest" the man said.
"That man…he's a Bane. But how is it possible that a Bane exists on another world?" Harry exclaimed in shock.
"It is possible because the Legacy Of Life transcends all worlds" Ryu explained.
"I see" that answer satisfied Harry.
"H-How…?" the rhino spoke.
"The body of the rhino remains intact does it not? I battled you without harming the beast you've enslaved. If you find it difficult to comprehend, I'll try to explain it in a way you might understand, though I doubt you would comprehend the simplicity of this battle art. It wasn't my sword that beat you; neither was it my agility nor any other weapons I used. It wasn't even nature in its fundamental sense. What destroyed you was 'My Identity' and that is why the marks on my face are known as 'The Seals Of Recognition'. They are a proof of my identity and the evidence that I am an accepted member of my clan; and in essence, they prove my humanity. It is these Seals Of Recognition that appear when my Identity becomes a part of my battle and it is my identity that defeated yours" the man said as he reached into the creature and pulled out a void of intense darkness.
He dragged the void, pulled out his sword and struck the air. The horizon opened up like a door. The man hurled the void into the horizon and sealed it up.
Then the scene transitioned. In the next scene was a girl who wore a crown. She rode atop a brilliant white unicorn. She was currently in a vast forest of dead trees. As she ventured further, there came the sound of loud howls followed by numerous barks. Then all of a sudden, a tall hooded figure cloaked in dark mist appeared before her. It rode atop a terrifying black horse with blazing red eyes.
"Let me pass. I don't want any trouble" the Princess pleaded.
"It looks to me like trouble is exactly what you seek by wandering into such treacherous lands" the figure said.
"Please let me pass" the Princess pleaded.
"I can't do that. You see, my kind exist by feeding off the spirits of pure souls. Souls that have purity and light like yours. When the light leaves your heart completely, the remaining darkness will fuel Zanfar's strength. Come my brethren and prepare yourselves for a feast!" the dark figure called.
There was a chorus of eerie whispers and more dark figures came out of hiding and surrounded the princess.
"The person standing before you…IS OUR FOOD!" the leader of the dark figures called.
The figures knocked her off her horse and began to feed off her spiritual energy but instead of growing stronger, they grew weaker.
"What is happening?! Why do we grow weaker instead of stronger?!" the leader wraith exclaimed in horror.
"Pathetic parasites! You are the cause of this curse aren't you?! You low lying scum that survive only by feeding off the pure spiritual energy of humans and their dreams leaving nothing but fear and hatred in your wake. You serve Zanfar so you should understand. You've all just committed suicide. The irony" a strange sinister voice said.
The three students recognized the voice.
"SUICIDE?! What are you talking about?!" the dark figures screamed.
"You've just fed off of the spiritual essence of one who knows no hatred. She has a pure love within her that surpasses even the love of humans. Do you know what you find when you feed off of someone like her? You find nothing but more love because she knows no hatred and you creatures of hate have fed off of pure love. To you, it is poison" the mysterious voice said.
"Who speaks?!" the dark figures screamed as they turned to face the speaker.
The three students looked in the direction the dark figures were staring in and saw the man who had battled the rhino. Now he wore a black crown on his head and dark armour.
"NIGHTMARE KING?!" the dark creatures screamed in fear.
"You disgust me. You do not even deserve to be called Nightmares! Disappear from my sight, filthy vermin!" the man declared and stretched his hand towards the dark figures.
A stream of golden light escaped from his fingertips and incinerated the dark figures. The Princess lay on the ground, unconscious. The Nightmare King walked to her and carried her in his arms.
"How reckless" he muttered and carried her away. Her unicorn followed close behind.
In the scene that followed, the Princess opened her eyes and found herself in a strange room. A young woman entered the room.
"The master wishes to dine with you. You can freshen up in there" the young woman said and left.
When the Princess finally left the room, she found the young woman awaiting her in the corridor. The Princess was led through the castle which was decorated with all kinds of grotesque gargoyles and statues. When the Princess finally arrived at the dining room, she noticed a man seated at the farthest end of a long table. The table was stacked with all kinds of delicacies. The Princess cautiously sat at the opposite end of the table.
"Are you the Nightmare King?!" the Princess called hoping that the man would hear her.
"I can't hear you, come closer" the Nightmare King called.
The Princess drew a bit closer.
"Can you hear me?!" she called.
"No" he replied.
She drew closer still but he kept saying he could not hear her till she was right beside him.
"I can hear you now" the Nightmare King said with a cunning smile.
"You did that on purpose! Are you the Nightmare King or not?!" the Princess asked angrily.
"I am the Nightmare King and I know that you are the Princess Of Dreams so now, I need to know why you did such a reckless thing as coming into my territory" the Nightmare King asked.
"I only came to find out whether you were responsible for this curse or not" the Princess said nervously.
"And now you have your answer. But now I am quite annoyed. You did such a reckless thing on a fifty percent chance of survival?" the Nightmare King inquired.
"A-Actually no. I also came to plead with you to release the captured Dream Knights" the Princess said.
"I will not do such a thing for two reasons; firstly, it was your father that declared war against me and secondly, I know that the Dream Knights he sent to protect you abandoned you. That for me is the highest peak of dishonor" the Nightmare King said calmly.
"Please do not judge them all for the actions of a few" the Princess pleaded.
"So I should give your father more armed warriors to make my defeat easier is that it? Apparently, you are no different from your father. None of you care about the fate of the Nightmare Realm. All you care about is your precious Realm Of Dreams filled with happiness yet you forget that it is the Nightmares that make the Dream World a reality" the Nightmare King said as he turned his back to the Princess.
"I do care and that is why I'm here. It is actually my wish to ensure that the Realms Of Dreams and Nightmares co-exist peacefully" the Princess said.
"Are you serious? Do you really mean it or are you just saying that to get on my good side. If that is the case, then you are wasting your time for I have no good side" the Nightmare King said with a mischievous grin.
"I know that you have a good heart because…you saved me" the Princess said.
"It would have made no difference whether I showed up or not because your spirit is poison to the wraiths" the Nightmare king said coldly.
"But you were there. If you hadn't come, I would probably have died of cold" the Princess argued.
"Probably" the Nightmare King said indifferently.
"I really do wish for peace between the two realms" the Princess said.
"Well, there is only one way to find out. Dream Banes! Show her your true forms" the Nightmare king ordered.
A number of servants lined up and began to transform into nightmarish creatures of all sorts. One of the creatures was wounded. It was a minotaur.
"Poor creature. Let me take care of that" the Princess said and stretched her hand over its leg.
A faint golden light ebbed from her hand and soon after, the minotaur was fully healed.
"My lord, she healed me!" the minotaur exclaimed joyfully.
The Nightmare King smiled.
"It looks like you truly appreciate Nightmares. I'm just a little convinced but if you wish to convince me enough to release the hostages from the dark damp dungeons I've placed them in, you will stay here with me for a few days" the Nightmare King said.
"I would if only I could send a message to my father informing him of my safety" the Princess said.
The Nightmare King agreed. There were a series of scenes showing the growing friendship between the Princess Of Dreams and the Nightmare King. Eventually, the time came for the Princess to leave. The Nightmare King looked very sad but he didn't complain.
The Princess returned to her home. She was praised by her people. They greatly respected her however, over time, it appeared that there was a sorrow within her.
In the scene that followed, the Nightmare King appeared to have received a letter. The letter left him enraged and he quickly departed from his castle. However, he was ambushed by knights just as he arrived at his destination. He fought them, easily overpowering them. There was a king amongst them. He was the Dream King, father of the Princess. The Nightmare King knocked the helmet off one of the knight's faces but after seeing the terrified expression on the knight's face, he lost his will to fight and was stabbed in that instant by the Dream King. Just at that moment, the Princess arrived on the scene.
"Father! What have you done?!" the Princess screamed in horror as she rushed to the Nightmare King's side.
The Nightmare King lay dying on the ground.
"Ariel, you came back to me" he said weakly.
"How could I do anything else…my love?" the Princess wept sorrowfully.
"Love? I have waited so long to be loved. It's…unnhh…a pity I have to die just when I found it" the Nightmare King said as he lost his breath of life and died.
"It's not fair. Why did a kind person like you have to be hated by everyone just because of your role in this world?" the Princess wept.
"Ariel! Let us return to the castle now!" the Dream King ordered, disgusted by the Princess' love for the Nightmare King.
"I'm not going back with you father. I'm staying with my love" the Princess said.
"You're coming with me now!" the Dream King ordered as he approached her however he was blocked by two of his knights.
"What are you so scared of Dream King? Are you so scared of Zanfar that you've forgotten to care about your own daughter's happiness? If that is the person I'm fighting for then I quit. Better to serve a loving Nightmare King than a bitter Dream King!" one of the knights declared, his name was Ryuuji Kirisawa.
"So do I! And all of you Dream Knights are pathetic if you've so soon forgotten the Nightmare King's kindness. He personally tended all our wounds and revived our broken spirits. If you've all forgotten so soon how to be kind, then Zanfar has already been unsealed. He is within all of you" a female knight said, her name was Saito Kusanagi.
"It doesn't matter now that the Nightmare King is dead" the Dream King said.
"Fenrir, do you agree with this?" Ryuuji asked another knight.
"Our personal feelings have nothing to do with this. Our vow as Dream Knights was sacred" the knight named Fenrir said.
"Arlene, do you agree with this?" Saito asked another knight.
"You know the prophecy" the knight called Arlene replied with uncertainty.
"I think you are all looking at the dark side of the prophecy. Have you forgotten the final part that says 'though the union of Light and Darkness will bring forth an incarnation of disaster…" Ryuuji was saying.
The Princess was still weeping for her lost love. Her tears fell into his wounds.
"The tears of true love shed by the Princess Of Dreams will give the incarnation a choice" Saito continued from where Ryuuji left off.
At that moment, a brilliant light engulfed the Princess and the Nightmare King. There was a flow of epic music and when the light faded, the Nightmare King was standing beside the Princess.
"Impossible! Can't you just die?!" the Dream King roared and stabbed the Nightmare King repeatedly however his weapon had no effect on the Nightmare King.
"Look who is acting more like a Nightmare. The Nightbane can no longer harm me. Your daughter's kindness and love and her tears restored my love and now I have been chosen by God to be the Sentinel of the Mirror Gate. Your Nightbane will have no effect on me since your daughter's tears now flow within me" the Nightmare King said.
"Ariel! Come with me!" the Dream King pleaded.
"No father, I'm leaving with the man I love. I'm getting married to him and we will indeed have a Dreamweaver but…he will become an incarnation of hope, not disaster" the Princess said confidently.
The two knights who shielded the Princess decided to go with her.
"Why did you choose to come with me?" the Nightmare King asked the Princess.
"Two reasons; firstly, it's not because I'm siding with you against my father but because our union can bring peace to both realms and secondly, I love you…silly" the Princess teased the Nightmare King.
"So what is your real name? It's not Nightmare King is it?" the Princess asked.
"You're marrying me though you don't know my real name? You must be really naïve" the Nightmare King teased the Princess.
"Please tell me your name?" the Princess pleaded.
"My name is…Sanziri. It means 'Destroyer Of Lies'. You can simply call me San" the Nightmare King introduced himself.
"And I suppose that's the 'Destroyer' part" the Princess joked.
"Heh! Precisely!" the Nightmare King said with a smirk.
The scene transitioned once more. In the scene that followed, there was a great celebration in the realm of Nightmares. There were many creatures gathered around the Nightmare King's castle. Standing on a balcony overlooking the crowd were the Nightmare King and the Princess of Dreams. There were loud cheers. In the hands of the Nightmare King was an infant with golden eyes. The Nightmare King raised the child before the crowd.
"DREAMWEAVER! DREAMWEAVER! LONG LIVE SANZIRI NIGHTBANE! LONG LIVE ARIEL BEATRICE NIGHTBANE!" loud cheers broke the air.
"This child will unite both realms and reveal the true purpose of Nightmares! His name shall be thus…" the Nightmare King called and turned to look at the Princess Of Dreams.
She nodded with a sorrowful look on her face.
"His name shall be thus…AYZAN NIGHTBANE!" the Nightmare King called.
There were loud cheers.
"I'm sorry my son. I have chosen a hard path for you but…I believe in you. Even if you are Zanfar reborn, I know you have the strength to choose for yourself who you want to be for you have human blood within your veins and something the original Zanfar did not have; a soul!" the Nightmare King declared.
Suddenly, there were loud explosions around the castle as the Dream Knights attacked the castle walls.
"So he has decided to make his move huh?" the Nightmare King thought angrily.
"To think my own father would attack his daughter and grandson" the Princess thought sadly.
"Don't worry Ariel. We knew this would happen sooner or later. Could you go get me my cape?" the Nightmare King asked her.
"The ones with bad words written behind them? Which would you prefer this time?" the Princess asked him.
"The one from the drawer I told you never to open. That was the cape I wore when I fought Ziri, the father of lies" the Nightmare King said.
The Princess nodded and ran to their bedroom. She opened the forbidden drawer and saw a cape that was as black as night on the outer part and as red as blood on the inner part. On the outer part was written the words in red…
"Don't tell me…San, what are you thinking…?" the Princess shook her head in disapproval and raised the cape.
She shook dust from it and the words glistened brightly…
"Utterly Obliterate!"
The Princess returned to her husband and handed him his cape.
"My Dear, now I'm off to kill a few hundred people. If I'm not back for lunch, just assume I'm having a fun time wiping out the Dream Knights" the Nightmare King said with a slight trace of amusement in his voice.
"You are fundamentally twisted! Don't go killing people!" the Princess scolded him.
"Of course, I am the Nightmare King but I'm not Zanfar. Ryuuji, Saito…you know what to do. Ariel, I can leave it to you to make sure that our son makes it to the Human Realm can I not?" the Nightmare King asked her.
"Of course, I am not your wife for nothing you know?" the Princess pretended to be offended.
"My little Ayzan…this may be the last time I see you in a long time. My final wish is that when you're growing up…don't forget to inherit some of your dad's fundamentally twisted genes" the Nightmare King said.
The Princess knocked him on the head.
"Don't feed Zan with strange ideas San!" she yelled angrily.
The Nightmare King laughed and handed the baby to the Princess.
"I guess it's better for you to be more like your Mom or she'll kill me" he said.
"You've got that right!" the Princess laughed.
"Ariel…take care…" the Nightmare King said as he kissed her.
She was surprised at first but embraced him.
"Um…my lord? You seem to be taking your sweet time, but while you're doing that…the Dream Knights are climbing the castle walls!" Ryuuji said worriedly.
"Don't ruin a romantic moment like this Ryuuji!" Saito pulled his ears.
He screamed in pain.
"Well, there should be some boiling oil cauldrons on the walls. Why don't you just pour them on the Dream Knights or push their ladders down or something" the Nightmare King said indifferently.
The Princess pinched his cheeks.
"I said don't go killing people!" she warned him.
"Oh, sorry about that dear. I'm heading off now. Ryuuji, Saito, protect Ayzan and Ariel with your lives. I'll buy you some time…while I have some fun killing a few hundred people!" the Nightmare King said with a sinister laugh as he leapt from the balcony.
"I SAID DON'T KILL ANYONE SAN! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" the Princess called to him.
In the next scene, the Princess stood before a huge gate that had a reflective surface. The Princess approached the gate cautiously with the child in her arms.
"Eternal Mirror Gate! I plead with you, for the sake of humans and their dreams, open your radiant path and let my son into the world of men!" the Princess pleaded.
The Gate opened slowly in response but beyond it was endless darkness.
"My time of awakening is almost at hand!" a dark sinister voice called from within the darkness as two evil red eyes appeared beyond the gate.
"Josec, Buern, do you feel that?" Harry asked.
"Yes, it feels…like Souryu" Buern replied seriously.
"Evil has many faces but one nature" Ryu said seriously.
As the three students watched, the child responded by crying. A dark hand stretched past the gate and tried to snatch the child. The Princess stared at the hand in fear as it approached. She tried to run but tripped and fell to the ground.
"You fear me don't you…Princess Of Dreams. I have heard of you…one with unparalleled kindness. Kindness strong enough to rival my evil…but you are afraid. Surrender that child to me. Its body is mine as is its soul!" the voice demanded.
"You can't have my son…YOU WON'T HAVE MY SON!" the Princess roared and raised a golden crucifix.
"That toy alone…is not enough to stop me! You underestimate me…Princess Of Dreams" the evil voice said.
"I know it may not be enough to stop you; after all…it was forged by human hands but…do you know why I am respected even amongst Nightmares? Though San, the Nightmare King loves me and can protect me…I wouldn't be the Queen Of Nightmares if I didn't know how to hold my own fort" the Princess Of Dreams said.
"I care not for anything you could speak to me about Dream Of Humans. Hand over that child or die!" the sinister voice threatened.
The Princess took in a deep breath.
"The reason I am feared as Queen Of Nightmares is because of my ability to suppress any Nightmare regardless of how terrifying or powerful it may be…and that includes you. Initiating a chain of fatal verses! Phase 1: Act Of Faith. From the Declarations Of John; the first verse of the first chapter! 'In the beginning was the word…and the word was with God…and the word was God!'" the Princess declared as a light began to shine from within her.
"What is this?!" the sinister voice exclaimed in surprise.
"Phase 2: Initiating the Ultimate Shield; The Proverbs Of Solomon the Wise; The tenth verse of the eighteenth chapter! 'The Name Of The Lord is a fortified Tower; the righteous run into it and are saved!'" the Princess roared as the image of a Seraph appeared around her shielding her.
The evil hand was dispelled.
"I see. So the people of this day still rely on the power of God. And I thought the time had come for a generation of unbelievers…I cannot harm you or that child however…your friends do not seem to possess the same faith in the god you draw your power from!" the evil voice declared as it reached out its hand and engulfed Saito in its flaming grasp.
"SAITO!" Ryuuji screamed and charged towards the Gate to attack the evil beyond it.
This evil was named Zanfar.
"DON'T BE RECKLESS RYUUJI!" the Princess roared.
Ryuuji froze in his tracks.
"There is only one way to defeat darkness…and that is…to overshadow it with light! I will attack now…" the Princess said as she approached the Gate.
"QUEEN ARIEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Saito struggled to say.
"There is only one way to defeat darkness and that is…TO OVERSHADOW IT WITH LIGHT! THE REVELATIONS OF JOHN, THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER! CALLING ON THE POWER OF VERSES FOURTEEN THROUGH SIXTEEN! 'THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN FOLLOWED HIM, RIDING ON WHITE HORSES AND CLOTHED IN PURE WHITE LINEN! OUT OF HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP SWORD, WITH WHICH HE WILL DEFEAT THE NATIONS. HE WILL RULE OVER THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON…" the Princess called as the Light around her materialized into a sharp double edged sword.
With the Sword, the Princess drove the evil back into the Gate while approaching it herself.
"YOU FOOL! WALK INTO THIS GATE AND MY CONSCIOUSNESS WILL CONSUME YOU!!!" Zanfar roared angrily.
"I know that…however; I also know that your evil will be defeated by my son and I will be freed once again! 'AND HE WILL TRAMPLE OUT THE WINE IN THE WINEPRESS OF THE FURIOUS ANGER OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD! ON HIS ROBE AND ON HIS THIGH WAS WRITTEN THE NAME: 'THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!!!' THIS IS IT FOR YOU ZANFAR! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MANIFEST IN THIS WORLD…AT THIS TIME! I WILL USE ALL MY KINDNESS! ALL MY PURITY…TO PUSH YOUR EVIL BACK!!!" the Princess roared as the Sword pursued Zanfar into the darkness of the Gate.
The Princess walked into the Gate tearing a hole through and casting her son through the Gate only to end up being absorbed by the darkness. The Gate shut behind her.
The students witnessed the Nightmare King's grief as he called for his wife after hearing news of her sacrifice.
In the scene that followed, there was a dark skinned man walking through a slum. He accidentally slipped on a banana peel and fell to the ground. He looked up to the sky and noticed the sun glowing with seven colours and before he could react, a heavy load fell on him. The students noticed that the load was the child of the Princess Of Dreams and the Nightmare King. The man checked the child for signs of identity and noticed a single sheet with the word 'DREAM' written on it.
In the next scene, Saito and Ryuuji sat in a fast food joint conversing happily. Soon, the students noticed the man whom the child of the Princess Of Dreams and Nightmare King had fallen on walk in. He hurried to the counter and ordered for some cow milk. The waitress kept telling him that he would have to go to a grocery store but he insisted that it would be too expensive and they kept arguing. Eventually, the man gave up and walked away.
"Let's follow him Ryuuji. Something about him seems a little…off" Saito said.
"In our line of work, everything is always off. He's just someone struggling to make it in life. I don't think it's right for us to follow him like he's some criminal" Ryuuji said.
"I'm pretty sure he was carrying a baby in his arms. I find that a little suspicious" Saito said.
"Lemme guess, you think it might be Ayzan don't you?" Ryuuji asked.
Saito looked at him seriously.
"You really do think that man has Ayzan don't you?" Ryuuji asked.
Saito nodded.
"Well then, I think it is our duty to see what kind of guardian Ayzan has don't you?" Ryuuji smiled.
"Ryuuji" Saito smiled at him.
They followed the man's trail. The man rushed through the streets trying as much as possible to keep out of the rain. Saito and Ryuuji kept their distance as they followed him. He walked into many different shops but each time he entered one, Saito and Ryuuji would hear arguments break out until he came running out.
"It's sad isn't it? It's already almost two weeks after Christmas and people have already returned to being selfish" Saito said.
"Let's go help him" Ryuuji suggested.
"But we don't know how he'll react" Saito said.
"Probably, but I don't want to go to bed remembering the pathetic look on your face right now and I definitely don't want this to turn into an obsession so let's just find out what you need to know" Ryuuji said.
Saito smiled and approached the man.
"Excuse me sir" Ryuuji called.
The man turned to face them. Saito and Ryuuji had surprised expressions on their faces.
"Uh-uh-um" they kept stammering.
"We-We…uh, it looked like you needed some help so we just wanted to ask how we could help" Ryuuji said.
Saito stood speechless.
"But it looks more like you are the ones that need help. You look so frightened. Don't be so scared, I won't bite" the man said.
"Is that a baby in your arms?" she asked.
"This child?" the man said as he parted the blankets to reveal the baby.
He was a boy, dark in complexion and looking slightly dirty but Saito recognized him right away.
"Ayzan?!" she exclaimed in joy.
"Ayzan? That's a little weird. Do you know this child?" the man asked.
"We don't" Ryuuji quickly cut in.
"I found him on the 31st of December. I wonder how his parents could have been cruel enough to abandon him. I wish I could say that, except for the fact that he fell from the sky so there are possibly two explanations in my mind. Explanation one, his parents were wicked enough to throw him from a plane or helicopter but that would be really inhuman. Not even the cruelest people could harm a child like this one, he's so cute" the man said.
"And explanation two?" Ryuuji asked.
"Explanation two is, he's probably an angel sent to save mankind in a time of distress that will be approaching soon" the man said.
"Haha, he's even closer to the mark than I'd have imagined" Ryuuji laughed almost silently.
"So what's his name? My fiancée here has a weird habit of just calling up random names whenever she sees a baby" Ryuuji said as he rubbed Saito's hair.
She pushed him away, apparently irritated.
"Well, this time, she nearly hit the mark. His name is Zan. I won't give him my surname officially though, but it's a name he will have although he might not remember me calling him by it until he's much older. The name Zan is the Dagaare word for 'Dream'. My surname is Minwule which is the Dagaare word for 'God shows the way' and my first name is Wanye which means 'Come and See!' It's weird but with all the weird things that have happened this particular Christmas season, my name is beginning to make some strange sort of sense" the man said.
"How may I ask?" Ryuuji asked politely.
"How?! It's Christmas for crying out loud! Don't you folks ever read the Bible?! 'Come and see' is an expression Jesus and the angels that announced his birth often used. And 'God shows the way' is similar to the purpose Jesus came to fulfill. I'm telling you, this child is a sign from the heavens!" the man said.
"Now that you mention it, I do notice the parallelisms between all of this and the birth of Jesus" Ryuuji said.
"So why did you name him Zan?" Saito asked expectantly.
"Because there was this piece of paper with the single word 'Dream' written on it" Wanye said and showed them the paper.
"That's it?! That's kinda a letdown!" Saito screamed.
"Saito, don't yell at the nice man" Ryuuji said.
"Ryuuji, now's definitely not the right time to get smart-mouthed with me!" Saito threatened.
"That's not the only reason. I named him 'Dream' because it is my 'hope' that he will save the dreams of mankind" the man said.
"Do you two have any kids?" Wanye asked.
"No, no! Do we look like we're married? Half the time we're mad at each other. Ryuuji is such a kid!" Saito said.
"And Saito's quite the boring adult" Ryuuji said.
Saito growled at him.
"But I can tell that you really love each other. One of my dreams will be for Zan to meet your children in the future" the man said with a smile.
"If you really love each other, why don't you tie the knot? Life's much shorter than we can imagine and I don't want you to finally come to the realization that you wasted the time you had having senseless arguments. The worst thing that could happen to any person is realizing your love for another only after you've lost that person forever" Wanye said.
Ryuuji smiled and pulled Saito close to him.
"I'll keep that in mind sir! Do you have a bank account?" Ryuuji suddenly asked.
"Why would you suddenly ask a stranger that?! You'll make us look like criminals!" Saito scolded him.
"I'll send you some money. Invest in that child's education and live a better life. Happy New Year Sir!" Ryuuji said after Wanye told him his bank account number.
Wanye smiled.
"I'll tell you this Ryuuji, the guardian of my clan will never forget your kindness and one day, he will come to your aid" Wanye said.
"And here's a little something for milk and another something for a fridge and an apartment. Depending on how you use it, the money I'll be sending you should last you fifteen years. Enough time for you to get a stable job and support yourself" Ryuuji said.
"I'll accept your kindness. Now it's time to take my leave but before I go, I'll bless you with a little gift. It's a song passed down through generations of just one clan in the entire Dagaare tribe. We only sing it to pure kind souls in need of happiness and once sang; it transcends generations. Listen to it carefully for it was taught to my ancestor, the great Sanziri who defeated an evil demon called Nimfar when it transformed into a huge beast to terrorize our village;
'Water and Fire, elements two,
Born from both, elements true,
Trapped in darkness, Light will lose
Together with darkness, Light will fuse"
Wanye sang.
Ryuuji and Saito were terrified by the words of the song but not just the words. The melody had a strange power in it. It had a mixture of many different musical cultures and it kept transforming as the man sang it, yet, it was never discordant.
"The song is frightening. Please, we don't think we can handle hearing it" Saito trembled.
The fact that the man was singing particularly about water and fire terrified her considering the fact that Ryuuji had the power of flame and she had the power of water.
"That is the first part. A song of Despair which's deepest meaning recounts the story of the birth of Dreams and Reality and an evil entity known as Zanfar.
The second part speaks of a future hope which I will sing to you now.
"Fire then will turn into flame
And reveal to Light its Holy Name
Purified by flame, the sun will rise
And cleansed by water they'll reach the skies"
The man said and sang the song in a strange language as well. He beckoned to Saito and Ryuuji to sing with him. They thought the language was one they couldn't learn in a short time but were surprised to find themselves singing in the man's language.
"Recall the meaning of those words, because I can see them being fulfilled in your future" the man said and walked away.
The three students witnessed Ryuuji propose to Saito on a hill overlooking all of Dream City, then they saw the two over a period of time make preparations towards their marriage. They also saw Saito and Ryuuji discover that Saito was pregnant with twin girls and then they witnessed the birth of the twin girls. On the day the girls were born, the sun shone with great brilliance and sweltering heat, it rained heavily and a rainbow formed in the sky for the whole day. Ryuuji and Saito witnessed this phenomenon from the window of the hospital.
"Water, Fire and Light; at the birth of our daughters, these three elements became one, almost like the words of the song that man sang" Saito said with a deep look in her eyes.
Saito and Ryuuji sang the song in both languages.
"This is the first part of this world's history chronicling the intertwining of the fates of three families and the birth of three children representing three elements; the families of the Dream King, the Nightmare King and two knights. Their tale set the stage for the history I am about to show you" Ryu explained to the students.
"Three elements, three families and…three children, it's almost like our tale and the history of Jo-lan. Our families also represent the Heart, Mind and Spirit Of The Phoenix" Buern mused.
"Not to mention the fact that a sun glowing with seven colours heralded the arrival of the Nightmare King and Princess Of Dreams' son into the world of men and the sun, rain and rainbow heralded the birth of the children of the two knights" Harry mused.
"Prepare yourselves for now you are about to witness the second part of this world's history. The history of the son of the Princess Of Dreams and Nightmare King, and the twin daughters of the two knights" Ryu said with a smile.
The three students nodded.