THE STONE OF FORGIVENESS VS THE SOUL OF CHAOS PART I
Within a realm of countless clocks stood Chaos. He was the only one amongst the Seven Souls Of Evil that had a completely human form. Surrounding him were the other souls of evil including Ziri.
"Why do you still reflect on human love Chaos? You are no longer a human. Don't forget that! Each of us once believed in a human trait so strongly but in the end we were proven wrong! Cowardice believed that bravery would be rewarded! Enslavement believed that nothing could chain a free soul! Despair believed that there would be hope even in the direst of situations! You believed in order born out of mutual love and respect! Decay believed that there was purity within humans. Sloth, well he just had confidence in his wits and I believed in an absolute truth however…we were pitted against Zanfar and we learnt firsthand that no human emotions were powerful enough to defeat him! We've all let go of our past but you still cling to your humanity! Why do you insist on this madness?!" Ziri questioned Chaos.
"Because he told me that they were made in his image. I don't get it! Even a broken mirror, reflects the image of an object no matter how distorted the image is…so why can an object of so much love have an image filled with so much hatred! How can an object of so much strength…have an image of pure weakness! It just doesn't make sense and I don't understand it!" Chaos declared.
"Give it up Chaos! Let it go! You are not human anymore! You are one of Zanfar's souls!" Ziri roared.
"I won't let it go! I want to understand!" Chaos declared.
Suddenly, a terrible earthquake began to rock the realm they stood in.
"What's happening Chaos?! What is going on?!" the other evil souls demanded.
"I-I don't know!" Chaos declared in fright.
As the evil souls watched, a terrifying clock materialized. The entire clock seemed to be made of blood, shining blood! The exterior of the clock seemed golden but a terrifying energy seemed to leak from the clock.
"What…is that?" Ziri asked.
"Another…day in the life of human history?" Chaos wondered and approached the clock.
"What day does it represent?" Enslavement asked.
Chaos touched the clock and shut his eyes.
"That is what I'm trying to find out" he said as he concentrated.
As the students watched, images of intense blood and fire mixed in with the scene. Chaos drew back in fear. There was an image of a bleeding lamb that had the demeanour of a lion. The lamb opened its mouth and roared, its image instantly overlapping with the image of a lion. Chaos was trembling all over.
"What did you see?!" the other evil souls asked him.
"I saw…destruction…it was not a clear image and I cannot decipher its meaning but it was a destruction…much worse than anything Zanfar had ever done and to make it worse…I don't think it could compare to the 'Hell-wide rampage of two thousand years ago!'" Chaos declared.
"That is a good sign! It means Zanfar will win this time!" Ziri laughed vainly.
"Could that be what it means…because it didn't feel like a good thing to me" Chaos said.
"That's probably because you cling to your human heart weakling! What isn't attractive about humans being brutally murdered?!" Ziri laughed.
"I don't recall seeing any humans dying in this image. In fact, I did see blood and fire but I don't recall seeing any images of death" Chaos said.
"You can sugar coat it to your liking as much as you want but the fact is…Zanfar has already won and no human no matter how strong…can change that" Ziri said.
In the scene that followed, Chaos stood before the Eternal Mirror Gate.
"So Zanfar has already won huh?! Yet you were defeated so easily!" Chaos roared angrily.
"Your mind cannot comprehend the workings of evil Chaos so you don't have the right to reprimand us" Ziri roared from within the gate.
"Really? Well it doesn't seem like I'm the only one. Cowardice and Enslavement gave Zanfar some advice before their defeats! I'd like to hear why?!" Chaos asked.
"Let's just say I saw a bit of my old self within him. I didn't think Zanfar could show emotions so strongly for a human. I just wanted to see how it would turn out. I was just curious…isn't it the same with you Enslavement?" Cowardice asked.
"Actually, I provoked him to the extent that his power almost awakened. What fascinated me however was that…though he had awakened, his thoughts were directed towards protecting that human girl. I found it strange. Somehow, it reminded me of what Zanfar used to say in the past… 'I do whatever I want. I destroy, save or toy with humans if I will it. No one can stop me, but if you believe you can…you are more than welcome to try'. The fact that no one can stop Zanfar once he sets his mind on something is what fascinated me to sacrifice my humanity for him in the first place. I don't regret any of my actions so far. In fact…I feel peaceful…even within this darkness" Enslavement said.
"And you Despair? What did you learn from Zanfar?" Chaos asked.
"Well for your information, I didn't get the chance to fight Zanfar but it seemed to me like he affects the people around him. And I'm not talking about them changing for the better. Somehow, it seemed like he was sharing his strength with them…even in his absence. That is the only logical reason for my defeat" Despair said.
"Amazing, it is a miracle in itself that you learnt some logic Despair. I thought the only thing you could comprehend was violence" Chaos mocked Despair.
"You're next in line to challenge him aren't you Chaos?" Enslavement asked.
"Actually, I was supposed to be the last since my power is second only to Ziri's…" Chaos was saying when…
"FOOL! HOW DARE YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME?! FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS SUCH A WAVERING RESOLVE, YOU SURE HAVE SOME PRIDE THINKING YOUR POWER COULD COMPARE TO MINE!!!" Ziri roared.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you say all that but who is the one stuck behind the Eternal Mirror Gate? I've decided to rewrite time and avert the destruction of Cowardice, Enslavement and Despair, you on the other hand Ziri…I have no intention of undoing your destruction. After all…like you say, you are so powerful it took the Nightmare King himself to defeat you" Chaos said.
"We have no reason to be involved in a conflict with Zanfar anymore but for your sake…we'll do our best and hope that you find your answer" Enslavement said.
"Now this is going to be interesting. What will you do now…Zanfar?" Chaos thought to himself.
The next scene showed Ayumi and Zan outside, on the lawn, talking. It was Christmas Eve.
"So Zan, have you thought about what you'd do this Christmas? Dad is thinking of having a party and inviting all the Dream Knights" Ayumi informed Zan.
"Really? A party would be great! But I don't want you forcing me to wear anything formal" Zan said with a suspicious look in his eyes.
"I've already thought of a gift for you Zan…but I'm not sure you'll like it" Ayumi said.
"A birthday gift, and now a Christmas gift too huh? As long as you don't do anything overly dangerous to get it, I don't have anything against anything you'd like to give me" Zan said with a reassuring smile.
"Really?" Ayumi asked shyly.
"Well…is it just me…or have you been acting a little weird lately?" Zan suddenly asked Ayumi.
Ayumi drew back surprised by his question.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Ayumi asked worriedly.
"Looks to me like the real Ayu is actually quite shy-y" Zan teased.
In the next instant, a punch from Ayumi sent him flying across the lawn.
"Say that again and I'll kill you!" Ayumi threatened.
"Heheheh! Looks like I tweaked a nerve there" Zan laughed.
Ayumi looked really angry.
"But you know Ayu…I've got a gift for you too!" Zan laughed.
Ayumi stared at him in surprise and turned away from him.
"I don't believe you. You can't afford a gift" Ayumi said.
Zan stood up and walked towards her till he stood right behind her.
"Not all gifts are bought Ayu…some are created and this one is really special to me because…you inspired it. I have a lot of faith in my gift! Heck it's even enough to break Chaos, Shining force style!" Zan laughed.
Ayumi smiled.
The scene that followed showed a party in the Kirisawa Residence. Ayumi stood in Zan's room trying to convince him to come down in the Tux she had sewn specially for him.
"I look ridiculous in this suit!" Zan argued.
"You look great Zan. Besides, the other Dream Knights want to meet you and I personally sewed that Tux for you. You wouldn't refuse to wear it after I went through all that trouble would you? That would be very insulting" Ayumi argued convincingly.
"Hey hey, you've become pretty manipulative these past few days haven't you?" Zan said with an irritated look on his face.
Ayumi smirked.
"Let me think about it. O-kay…I don't think so! Let me at least get rid of the flying tie! Please Ayu, formal occasions and formal dressing just isn't my thing" Zan pleaded.
Suddenly, all the lights in the house went out and a terrible wind blew the windows open. The curtains began to flutter eerily.
"What just happened?" Ayumi asked Zan.
"I don't know why but I'm getting really bad vibes" Zan said.
Almost immediately after Zan had said that, there was a loud sound like the shattering of many glasses at the same time and loud screams filled the air.
"Something's happening! I've got to protect everyone!" Ayumi exclaimed as she ran out of Zan's room and down the stairs.
"Ayu! Wait for me!" Zan called but she was already downstairs.
Everyone in the Kirisawa mansion appeared to have been caught within a form of stasis. Though alive, they were frozen like statues.
"What's this?! Dad! Ai!" Ayumi called and searched for her family.
She found them frozen as well.
"Just what is going on?!" she exclaimed and searched the gardens for clues.
"You are Ayumi Kirisawa aren't you?" a strange sinister voice asked.
Ayumi stared in the direction of the voice and found a shadow standing before her. It was hooded and all dressed in black.
"Are you responsible for this?!" Ayumi yelled angrily.
"Strange! I thought the one Zanfar draws strength from would be as pure hearted as the Princess Of Dreams but your heart is tainted. I see you have your own dark secrets" the stranger said.
"I don't know who you are but you are really beginning to get on my nerves" Ayumi growled.
"Oh forgive me, where are my manners. I am…Chaos, the evil soul once sealed by the Stone Of Time" the figure said as he removed his hood to unveil his face.
Beneath the hood was a silver haired man.
"Chaos? What are you doing here?!" Ayumi yelled.
"Strange, does Chaos need an invitation to be anywhere? I thought you'd be happy to see me since I am a walking elemental stone" Chaos said.
"But you don't look anything like an evil soul" Ayumi said.
"Strange, can you tell me what Chaos is supposed to look like?" Chaos asked.
"Well you tell me!" Ayumi roared.
"Strange, you should perhaps ask Zanfar whether or not he found Enslavement attractive" Chaos said.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ayumi yelled.
"Very strange, I was under the impression that the human species was supposed to be the most intelligent. I guess all humans are good for is oppressing people and creatures weaker than themselves, not that I don't find that very entertaining" Chaos narrowed his eyes and smiled mischievously.
"Hah! That's really funny to hear coming from an evil soul! Why are we even having this childish conversation? You are an evil soul and I am a Dream Knight! I AM AYUMI KIRISAWA OF THE KIRISAWA CLAN OF DREAM KNIGHTS! OBEY ME SIGILS OF FLAME!" Ayumi called as the Pyrogeysers appeared in her hand. "All I know is that you are an evil soul and must be vanquished" Ayumi roared as she charged to attack.
"Strange, a human challenging an evil soul, it is something interesting in its own right. And it is the nature of humans to challenge things they do not understand but I'll tell you beforehand, your efforts will prove to be futile because unlike any of the evil souls you have encountered thus far, I am unlike anything you have ever faced" Chaos said.
"That's what they all say and it's exactly why I think you're weak!" Ayumi roared as she attacked Chaos but her sigil simply passed through him.
"What's wrong? You are too slow…or could it probably be that I am too fast for you?" Chaos said with a mocking smile.
"It must have been a fluke! HYAAH!" Ayumi roared and attacked repeatedly but though Chaos wasn't moving or evading, her sigils weren't having any effect on him. It was as though she was fighting air.
"Why can't I hit him?!" Ayumi seemed to mutter desperately.
"Strange isn't it? Why don't you just give up? Like I said it's pointless" Chaos said calmly.
"Why is that?!" Ayumi demanded an answer.
"Because I haven't yet told you my reason for coming here and I haven't yet declared battle" Chaos said.
"Why are you here then?" Ayumi asked.
"To avenge my fallen brethren. I must also help Zanfar awaken. I can only do that by taking away the one thing he values even more than his life and that one thing…is you" Chaos said.
Ayumi seemed surprised.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Ayumi Kirisawa…just how much do you think Zanfar loves you? Do you think you can love him enough even…after you've already betrayed him?" Chaos asked.
"What are you talking about?!" Ayumi asked again.
"Don't play dumb with me. I know the one who took the life of Zanfar's mortal guardian was…you. Do you think your love for him based on your guilt and fear will be enough to protect him from his true nature?" Chaos asked.
Ayumi frowned but her hands were trembling. She seemed to know what Chaos was trying to say.
"Do you love Zanfar…as much as he loves you?" Chaos asked.
"I care about Zan!" Ayumi declared.
"That is not enough! Even I care about not being trapped within that terrible gate! Even evil cares about certain things! The question isn't about whether you care or not! I asked whether you loved him or not!" Chaos roared angrily.
Ayumi was surprised. She could not seem to understand why her feelings for Zan were important to this evil soul.
Ayumi frowned.
"I can't answer that…not yet anyway" she admitted sorrowfully.
"Fine, then let's play a little game. Humans have no hesitation professing their love yet they do not seem to understand what love means. Humans can only understand love according to how they define it. However, that short word is heavy with meaning. It cannot be defined, it can only be felt. And sometimes, the price that comes with realizing that feeling is heavy. Enslavement told Zanfar not to give up hope. Now I will tell you that…nothing can stop Zanfar from bringing destruction to this world…not even you. In fact, if there is anything that quickens Zanfar's path to destruction…it is you" Chaos said.
"Shut up!" Ayumi roared angrily.
"I don't need to take orders from a human who is afraid to admit her own feelings. I will crush every ray of love Zanfar has for you…that…is a promise! Humans say, 'love is timeless' but I don't believe you! Humans only love when it benefits them! They are quick in abandoning their feelings in times of tribulation! I am time itself and I have seen it all! How will you prove to me that this saying is true! No, I won't even listen to your answer, I will crush every ray of love in this world now!" Chaos declared.
"I won't listen to you! Even if I'm not sure of my feelings, one thing I know is that…Zan is important to me! I won't let him go just because you say so!" Ayumi roared as she charged to attack Chaos.
"Now I declare the start of our battle! A battle to prove the timelessness of love…or rather…its perishability!" Chaos roared and caught Ayumi's Pyrogeysers with just one hand.
He wasn't harmed at all.
"27th August, 2000 in the timeline of the Human World, Dawn Of The Flame Sigil, Pyrogeysers in the timeline of Dreams" Chaos said
"Huh? That was the day…!" Ayumi exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, the day you were first able to summon your sigils. What if…that day never happened?" Chaos said with a cunning smile.
"Don't tell me…?! Are you really capable of erasing days?!" Ayumi exclaimed.
"Judge with your own eyes! I AM CHAOS! THE EVIL SOUL THAT WAS ONCE SEALED BY THE STONE OF TIME!" Chaos began to call.
"Zan! Help me!" Ayumi screamed.
In the next instant, Zan somersaulted through a window on the second floor while equipping his sigils. He landed smoothly on the ground and found Ayumi staring at Chaos with a horrified expression on her face.
"Ayumi! What's going on?!" Zan called but Ayumi didn't seem to hear him.
"Behold the power of my sigil, The Internal Titanium G-Shock!" Chaos called.
Mixing in with the scene was an image of an entire dimension composed of a giant clock surrounded by millions of small clocks. Some of the clocks moved clockwise and others moved counter clockwise.
"What is this?!" Ayumi stared both in awe and horror.
"The giant clock you see represents the entire history of existence. The small clocks represent a day in the lives of humans. The clocks that move clockwise represent good days, days of peace. The clocks moving counter clockwise represent the days in which an irreparable harm was done by humans and as you can see, we have more of those than the clocks moving clockwise. Regardless of which direction they move, every time a clock performs a revolution, a second in the life of the history of existence is achieved. And this one, come and take a look…" Chaos directed.
Ayumi approached him and beheld a fiery clock. Within its face, she could see images of herself perfecting her swordsmanship skills with a wooden sword.
"Now I'll try once more to summon my sigil!" her image said with determination.
"This was the day I…" she muttered in shock.
"Precisely, however, without this day, an entire timeline will be affected adversely. Like say…the Battle Of Black Water Bridge. During that time, for three straight days, you fought to protect the Dreams Of Mankind, without food or water. However, without your flame powers, countless dreams will perish. Now…I will make that day disappear forever. Do you think your love is strong enough to withstand that?" Chaos said as his eyes glowed with a cold silver light.
The clock shattered into pieces. Many other clocks began to shatter as well as though they were connected to the clock holding the Dawn Of The Flame Sigil Pyrogeysers.
"No!" Ayumi called as her sigils faded away.
"Pyrogeysers!" she called sorrowfully.
"Ayumi!" Zan called to her.
He noticed her sigils disappear but could not see Chaos' sigil. She turned to face Zan with tears in her eyes.
"Ayumi…what's wrong?" Zan asked.
"If the day I first summoned my sigils ceases to exist…then what happens to the day I first met Zan?" Ayumi asked with a trembling voice.
Chaos smiled.
"That day too will be altered" he said.
At that moment, a powerful wind began to carry Zan away.
"ZAN!" Ayumi screamed and caught his hand holding on to him tightly.
"What's going on?" Zan struggled to say.
"I'll never let go Zan! Hang on! No matter what happens…there's no way I'll let go of your hand!" Ayumi screamed and held Zan's hand with both hands, pulling as hard as she could.
"It's pointless! The historical timeline has already been altered. You cannot stop it" Chaos said.
Suddenly, the wind tore Zan from Ayumi's grasp and carried him into the sky.
"ZAN! NO MATTER WHERE THE WIND TAKES YOU, I WILL FIND YOU! I PROMISE!!!" Ayumi swore.
Zan smiled.
"I TRUST YOU AYU! I ALWAYS HAVE…AND I ALWAYS WILL!" Zan shouted back.
"Let's see now if love can literally stand the test of time!" Chaos said, grabbed Ayumi, knocked her out and disappeared with her.
Zan floated through the skies. He shut his eyes, losing consciousness. Scenes of his memories growing distant mixed in with the scene.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in his cramped apartment in Lower East Side Dream City. He yawned and opened his eyes.
"Wow, what a long dream. Who was that strange girl? It's weird but…I felt like I actually loved her. TCH! That's crazy! Falling in love with a dream girl brings nothing but heartache, everyone knows that!" Zan scolded himself.
Zan went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. There, he heard Wanye call to him. He initially believed his ears were deceiving him but was glad to find Wanye.
The next scene showed Zan in school minding his own business. For a brief moment, he stared at the desk beside him which Ayumi occupied in the real timeline. He shook his head and looked again as though for a brief moment, he had seen her.
"Ayumi Kirisawa?" he muttered as though for a brief moment he had recalled her name.
At that moment, a teacher walked into the class with Ayumi beside him.
"Okay, listen here you bunch of unsavoury brats! From today, we will have a new student participating in class activities!" the teacher said.
"Why don't you introduce yourself to…" he was saying when Ayumi interrupted.
"I have no intention of introducing myself to irrelevant people" Ayumi snapped.
"Well, if that is your decision, fine. Class, why don't you introduce yourselves?" the teacher asked.
"TCH! What makes you think we'd like to introduce ourselves to a conceited jerk like her!" the class complained.
The teacher shook his head sadly.
"This school was badly named. It should have been called 'The Great Nightmarish Academy!' All the students here are Grade A delinquents" the teacher sighed.
"I'd prefer it that way. I don't intend to know any of you and you don't need to know me" Ayumi said.
"What sad eyes. They seem devoid of any kind of light…of any kind of hope" Zan seemed to say silently as tears flowed down his face.
Ayumi noticed him since the only empty desk was beside him. Zan lowered his head and wiped his tears. When he raised his head, Ayumi was seated beside him.
"You didn't need to be that rude Ayumi Kirisawa!" Zan suddenly scolded her.
She glared at him.
"I don't recall ever telling you my name!" she growled threateningly.
"Crap! So she really is Ayumi Kirisawa! How can I explain to her that I've met her in my dreams without making it sound perverted?!" Zan thought worriedly.
"Well?! Who are you?!" she demanded an explanation.
"Huh? I thought you just said you didn't want to know any of us" Zan responded slyly while trying not to offend her.
"I'm not interested in knowing who you are! I just want to know how you know my name!" she demanded.
"What?! Zan knows her name?! Have you met her before Zan?" the entire class suddenly became interested.
"I've never met this boy in my life!" Ayumi yelled.
"Fine, if you really want to know, it came to me in a dream okay?!" Zan yelled back.
Ayumi seemed surprised, then she remained silent.
The next scene showed Ayumi borrowing Zan's notes. Zan seemed reluctant to hand them over but Ayumi was so demanding that he eventually gave in. From that moment, Ayumi refused to return his notes till after the midterm exam. Zan confronted her during lunch break one day but she totally ignored him.
"What's your problem?! Was it your intention to punish me or something?! What have I ever done to you?! You're not even trying to make friends. That alone is fine but it seems to me like you're hell bent on making everyone here your enemy!" Zan scolded her.
"That's none of your business!" she said.
"You're damn right it's part of my beeswax! Give me my notes or else…!" Zan threatened.
"Or else what?!" Ayumi challenged.
"Or else I'll…I…I'll kiss you!" Zan yelled angrily.
From both their reactions, it appeared that Zan uttered those words unintentionally but quickly realizing how infuriated those words made Ayumi, Zan quickly took advantage of the situation.
"You wouldn't dare!" Ayumi threatened.
"Try me!" Zan challenged and puckered up his lips.
Everyone around began to cheer him on, some laughed at what he was trying to do.
"Fine, I'll give you your notes" Ayumi said.
In the next scene, Ayumi was presenting Zan with ashes.
"How do you like your notes?" she asked with an unpleasant smirk.
"AH! Listen! If only you were a boy, if only you were a boy, how I would not hesitate to smack that pretty face of yours across the dimensions!" Zan yelled angrily.
"I'd like to see you try" Ayumi said and blew the ashes in Zan's face. He sneezed as she threw the rest of the ashes over him and walked away.
"Jeez, that Ayumi gets more and more annoying each day! I guess I'll just stay out of her way otherwise I'd end up in prison for murder!" Zan grumbled.
The following scenes showed the attempts of other students to deflate Ayumi's pride. During soccer practice, both allies and foes aimed powerful shots at her. During Tennis, they aimed for her head. During Tae-kwon do practice, everyone wanted to be her opponent just so they could beat her up but it always ended up in reverse order. She was rather the one beating them all up. It wasn't long until her pride began to turn into sorrow. Zan always observed from a distance. In one scene, she got into trouble for beating up a boy very badly. As punishment, she had to serve the entire school with lunch for two weeks. At first, there was no retaliation, but after a while, the students began to throw food in her face, pouring it in her bag and all sorts of stuff. By the time four days had passed, the only reason anyone ordered food had become just so they could dump it in her face.
At first, it was amusing to Zan but it began to get out of hand. Zan was slowly beginning to get irritated and eventually he became enraged. He didn't appear to understand where all his rage was coming from though because he seemed to think that he didn't care for Ayumi in anyway. The boy Ayumi had beaten was particularly fond of ordering spicy food. One day, he ordered particularly spicy food (something only a dragon could eat). Zan realized his intentions and rushed to the scene. Without saying a word, Zan picked up a metal tray and smacked it in his face.
"Zan?" Ayumi stared at Zan in surprise but he ignored her.
"Don't you guys think it's enough?! You've already gotten back at Ayumi for her foolish pride but if you continue the way you're going about things…you'll end up even worse than she ever was! Come on Ayumi!" Zan said with a disgusted look in his eyes and pulled Ayumi to the headmaster's office.
He in turn billed every student with the food they had wasted.
In class, everyone was mad at Zan but he ignored them all. Ayumi did not talk to Zan for a while but Zan seemed to know that it was more out of guilt than anger. She in turn began to notice Zan's solitude.
In one scene, they sat on the school's roof. Zan ate in silence while watching the horizon.
"You're not very popular amongst the others are you?" Ayumi asked.
"Hmmph! Such trivial things don't bother me. You know, there are certain things you can learn when no one else pays attention to you" Zan said.
"Like what?" Ayumi asked.
"Well…like…uh, it might seem absurd but you can sometimes learn nature's voices. You know, when I hear the sound of the wind on a bright sunny day like this…it makes me wonder just how much the wind has seen. It's been to so many places. Sometimes, I just shut my eyes and try to think of all the places the wind has been. At times, it's like I can see the dreams of the wind but…most of the time it's like the wind is crying…" Zan said sadly.
"Why do you say that?" Ayumi asked.
"The wind cries because of us humans. We are the only creatures in existence that try to live completely isolated from nature. We try to change nature instead of learning from it. At times, I can hear a voice cursing humans, accusing humans of evil and threatening to destroy everything. Sometimes…it seems like the voice is seeping into my soul, trying to corrupt it but when I try to give in to it, a woman appears, whose hair sparkles like the sun and…she protects me" Zan said.
Ayumi stared at him in surprise.
"You're really strange you know that?" she asked.
"Hmmph! I've heard that so many times it no longer shakes me. At times I find myself wondering why I'm so different from humans. Perhaps I'm not even human to begin with" Zan said.
"He seems completely different from the Zan I know" Ayumi thought to herself.
"So what's your beef with humanity?" Zan asked her.
"It's similar to yours. I'm sick of people judging me just because they think I'm not worthy of their time" Ayumi said.
"You know, in a way it's also our fault. We are always looking at the depths of every situation, we sometimes fail to see the surface that's so painfully clear" Zan said.
"Why did you help me?" Ayumi asked.
"I didn't want to at first but I realized that two wrongs don't make a right and everyone else was becoming worse than you had ever been. I guess I just wanted to protect them from giving in to that sinister voice that keeps trying to seep into their souls" Zan said.
"Thank you Zan" Ayumi said.
"What? Did you just…thank me?" Zan blinked in surprise.
"I know I'm really proud and I come off as arrogant but I'm not so blind that I can't even realize my own mistakes" Ayumi said.
"Look, I don't know why you hate people so much but you shouldn't let yourself live in resentment. You'll regret it. If you want, I'll become your friend but please stop trying to suffer on your own" Zan offered.
Ayumi looked surprised and slowly, tears began to flow down her eyes. She turned away from Zan.
"No one has ever said that to me before. You're really naïve, offering your friendship to someone you hardly know" Ayumi said.
"Yep, I know that I'm naïve, it's true…but it's better than being hateful and overly suspicious of everyone don't you think?" Zan said with a smile.
Ayumi nodded and smiled at him. From then on, the scenes that followed showed Ayumi and Zan becoming good friends. Zan seemed to enjoy listening to her stories of her time in Japan. He in turn shared his experiences with Wanye. Zan however remained blissfully unaware that Ayumi belonged to a clan of Dream Knights who were hell bent on killing him.
Ayumi began to express an interest in meeting Wanye so Zan invited her home one day.
The next scene showed Ayumi and Zan standing in front of Zan's apartment in Lower East Side Dream City. The door to the apartment was open. Zan found this suspicious and told Ayumi to wait outside while he investigated. Zan entered the apartment and noticed a trail of blood.
"Wanye!" Zan called and searched for him.
He found Wanye in the kitchen lying in a pool of blood.
"Zan! Run! It's a trap!" Wanye warned.
The door suddenly shut behind Zan. He turned around and found Ai holding a sword made of ice crystals and clothed in icy looking armour. At that moment, the sound of someone rushing into the apartment was heard and the door to the kitchen suddenly burst open. Zan looked confused because in this timeline, he was unaware that Ayumi had a twin sister.
"A-Ayumi? How can there be two of you?" Zan asked in shock.
"Ai! What are you doing here?!" Ayumi yelled angrily.
"Hmmph! Dad sent me to find and eliminate the Dreamweaver but instead, I find that you've befriended him!" Ai said disdainfully.
"D-Dreamweaver? Ayumi, what is she talking about?" Zan asked in fear.
"Run Zan!" Ayumi ordered.
"You can't escape!" Ai roared as she slashed at Zan.
Her sword slashed him across the face, scarring him.
"ZAN RUN!" Ayumi screamed desperately.
Zan run outside. Ayumi followed close behind.
"What's going on Ayumi?!" Zan asked her worriedly.
"They are trying to kill you! You've got to escape!" Ayumi roared desperately.
Zan turned to look at her. There was a look of desperation in her eyes, the look of one trying desperately to protect the last meaningful thing in her life.
"Who is trying to kill me?!" Zan asked.
Ayumi remained silent for a while.
"My family" she said.
"Why?!" Zan asked her.
He looked confused.
A few moments later, Zan and Ayumi found themselves surrounded by werewolf like creatures.
"What are those?!" Zan asked Ayumi.
Suddenly, a firm manly voice spoke.
"Ayumi! You've done enough! Do not tarnish our family's honour anymore by helping the Dreamweaver!" the voice commanded.
"Father?!" Ayumi stared at the stranger with a frightened look on her face.
Beside him was Ai. They both stared at Ayumi as though she were the greatest disappointment in their lives.
"Ayumi! What is going on?!" Zan asked again.
"Seriously Ayumi, you're such a disappointment to this family. All you had to do was identify the Dreamweaver, but rather, you befriended him. You can't even do something so simple right. How pathetic! You do not deserve the Kirisawa name!" Ai insulted Ayumi.
Ayumi was trembling in rage and sorrow but she seemed afraid to express her true feelings. A dark voice began to echo within the scene. It was something only Zan could hear but the three students could hear it as well as though it were echoing within them as well.
"This is what humanity is…this is the true nature of humanity. Those who love are forsaken. The world of humanity is ruled by hatred! That is what I am…that is who you are" the voice said.
"Shut up!" Zan seemed to reprimand the voice.
Ayumi who couldn't hear it stared at him in surprise.
"Stop talking as though Ayumi is some kind of trophy to raise your reputation with! Ayumi is a person! She has feelings!" Zan yelled at Mr. Kirisawa and Ai.
"Ayumi…will you side with your family…or with the Dreamweaver?" the man asked.
Ayumi bowed her head in shame.
"Humanity is a circus of misplaced loyalties" the voice said again.
"Shut up!" Zan reprimanded it yet again.
Ayumi walked to Zan and slapped him. He appeared shocked. Ayumi was trembling. She held Zan by the collar and pulled him close to herself. Then she whispered some words to him. Zan opened his eyes in surprise.
"What are you saying Ayumi?!" Zan asked in shock.
Ayumi backed away from Zan.
"It's okay Zan. I am really sorry…family comes first. I really am sorry Zan…I really did have fun with you" Ayumi said and ran away.
"AYUMI!!!" Zan called but she ignored him.
"Humanity is cruel…humanity is sheer weakness…" the voice rang again.
Ai and Mr. Kirisawa pounced on Zan slashing him mercilessly. He fell to his knees in unbearable pain.
"There is no love in this world. Everyone just uses everyone else. Ayumi betrayed me. There is no merit in being good. Kindness…is weakness" Zan's voice overlapped with the sinister voice.
He collapsed to the ground. The werewolves carried him and disappeared into the Dream World. The Ayumi from the real timeline who had been captured by Chaos observed all these things.
The next scene showed Zan. He had awakened in a dark room. The Nightmare King towered above him.
"You're finally awake Zan. I am the Nightmare King, your father" the man introduced himself.
"Then make me into a Nightmare!" Zan demanded.
"Why Zan?" the Nightmare King asked.
"So that I can have my revenge on Ayumi Kirisawa! And from now on, I forsake the name Zan, I shall be known only as…Zanfar!" Zan declared as lightning illuminated the room.
His once golden eyes took on a sinister crimson glow.
"NO!!!" Ayumi who was observing these events from within Chaos' sigil screamed as tears flowed down her eyes.
The scenes that followed showed Zan training with the Nightmare King, leading the Nightmare King's armies and decimating the Dream Knights. The Ayumi who observed all this tried many times to save him but she could not. She was the remnant of an altered timeline. To interfere in the new timeline by breaking out of Chaos' sigil could cause her erasure so she had to be patient. While waiting, she and Chaos had many debates.
Eventually, there was a scene that showed Zan in training with the Nightmare King.
"Zan, do you know what Zanfar is?" the Nightmare King asked.
"Zanfar means Nightmare" Zan said seriously.
"Hmm, let me try to explain to you in terms you can understand. Zan, imagine you lived in a country filled with people you love. Then one day, you left that country, and when you returned, every single person was murdered in the most brutal way imaginable" the Nightmare King said.
"Zanfar is that bad?!" Zan exclaimed in awe.
"Actually, I was describing heaven from Zanfar's perspective. Now we've set the measure by which we can weigh what Zanfar truly is. If that is heaven, can you imagine what hell looks like?" the Nightmare King asked.
"Heh! The only heaven I can see is wiping Ayumi and her family off the face of this earth!" Zan declared.
"Zanfar is the ultimate Nightmare, the king and origin of all Nightmares. Zanfar is destruction incarnate and he himself is indestructible. No matter how evil a human or creature may be, no one wishes for an evil as terrible as Zanfar. Do you really want to become someone like that?" the Nightmare King asked.
Zan smiled.
"What use is there in being good? People only use and betray you when you are kind. I don't see anything wrong in becoming Zanfar and destroying this evil world" Zan said.
"If that is the case, you must prepare yourself to face the seven souls of evil. Only by defeating them can you unite with them to become Zanfar. However, I don't think that is what you really want" the Nightmare King said.
"I'm ready father, I'll begin my journey now to unleash my true self" Zan said and left the Nightmare King.
"Wait! You will not be able to defeat Chaos, the evil soul of Time without gaining experience as a Dreamweaver. Let me train you for two more months before you set off on your journey" the Nightmare King said with a cunning smile on his face.
"Very well" Zan said and returned to him.
The next scene showed Zan preparing to leave.
"Where are you going from here?" the Nightmare King asked.
"First, I will return to the Human Realm to see whether things have changed or not. Then I will deal with the Kirisawas. After that, I will defeat the souls of evil and destroy all the Dream Knights, I don't need to tell you what comes next" Zan said and walked away.
"Yes, you will embrace your destiny as Zanfar" the Nightmare King said with a cunning smile.
"Why are you smiling?" Zan asked.
"Zan, have you ever heard of the Keys Of The Heart?" the Nightmare King asked.
"And where did you pick that one from, Kingdom Hearts or what?" Zan joked.
"It is said that every human or Dream Being has one. It is the ultimate source of power and it even surpasses Zanfar" the Nightmare King said but Zan noticed that his eyebrows were twitching as though he was telling the most ridiculous joke in the world and was trying to stifle his laughter.
He turned away from Zan and folded his arms.
"That is all I will tell you. You are not ready to wield such power" the Nightmare King said.
"I'm ready! More than ready! Besides, you said every human has one and so does every Dream Being. I am half human, half Dream Being so I must have two!" Zan said with a cunning smile.
"Foolish boy! It doesn't work that way! Every living creature with a soul has one and only one! It doesn't matter whether you're half human, half Dream Being or half Dagaare, half Fante! It is one for every being regardless!" the Nightmare King scolded.
"But it is mine regardless! Tell me where and how I can find it!" Zan demanded.
"I'll only tell you…if you can defeat me in combat" the Nightmare King said.
"I accept your challenge! I AM ZANFAR NIGHTBANE! IN MY QUEST FOR VENGEANCE, I SUMMON THEE SIGILS OF DARKNESS!!!" Zan roared and in a flash of black lightning, a terrible black sword appeared in his hands.
That sword was an expression of the pain and rage in his heart. Zan fought the Nightmare King with all the rage he could call upon. The Nightmare King was defeated easily. In fact, so easily that if Zan had deeply reflected on the fight, he would have realized that the Nightmare King lost on purpose.
The Nightmare King smiled.
"You've grown strong my son" the Nightmare King said with a sly smile.
"Tell me where to find the Key Of My Heart!" Zan demanded.
"You don't want to know where it is, trust me" the Nightmare King said.
"I do! That's why I'm asking!" Zan roared.
"Fine, I will tell you. It is being held hostage by Chaos, the evil soul of Time. You must hurry if you wish to save it" the Nightmare King said with a laugh.
"Fine then, Chaos will soon face my wrath!" Zan declared and walked away.
The Nightmare King turned his back to Zan.
"Forgive me my son. I did indeed take that line from Kingdom Hearts. It is all for your own good" the Nightmare King said with an evil chuckle.
In the next scene, Ai stood in front of a fridge in the Kirisawa Residence drinking water. When she closed the fridge, Zan was standing behind the door of the fridge with a smirk on his face.
"Well hello there…Ai Kirisawa" Zan greeted with a smirk.
Ai leapt back in surprise.
"Why do you look so surprised? Did you really expect to kill me in such a cowardly way?" Zan asked with a sly smile.
In a flash, Ai's sigil was out.
"I don't know how you survived Dreamweaver but you'll die again!" Ai roared.
"Do you really expect to kill me with that little toy?" Zan pointed to her sigil.
"Don't you dare underestimate me!" Ai roared and slashed but Zan caught her sigil between his fingers.
"Like I said…do you really expect to kill me…WITH THIS LITTLE TOY?!" Zan roared and snapped Ai's sigil in half.
"Impossible!" Ai exclaimed.
"It's not nearly as impossible as what I'll do to you!" Zan roared and kicked her in the gut.
She broke through the walls of the house and fell outside. Zan approached her.
"Ai!" Mr Kirisawa called worriedly as he rushed to her aid.
He noticed Zan.
"D-Dreamweaver!" he exclaimed in shock.
"The name is ZANFAR!" Zan roared and appeared beside him in a flash.
He punched Mr. Kirisawa in the gut, delivered an upper cut and crowned it with a roundhouse kick.
"FATHER! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Ai roared as she got up and attempted to hit Zan with a flying kick.
Zan phased to the left, caught her by the throat and slammed her hard into the ground. She screamed in pain.
"How will you make me pay? I've paid more than enough just for being alive! This scar from your sigil, this scar that refuses to heal…is the only proof of my existence! Nothing you can do will matter to me!" Zan said and glared at Ai.
Ai opened her eyes in horror. She could clearly feel the gap in strength. She could also feel Zan's hatred almost as though it were a tangible force. Zan summoned the Black Bane.
"This sword is also the proof of the life of the boy you murdered. A poor boy, whose only dream was to make the world a better place and to bring smiles to everyone's faces, a boy who was ignorant of the Dream War or of Zanfar. What would have been wrong with giving that boy a chance to live his life…but no, you killed him and with him died all the light and love in his heart. If there is one thing I should thank you for, it's opening my eyes to the harsh reality of this world! Thank you so much! To repay the favour, I'll crush you…and this twisted existence you call life!" Zan declared.
"Kill me Dreamweaver…but please spare my daughter!" Mr. Kirisawa pleaded.
"Did you spare me though I was defenceless?! No you didn't. At least you are armed! I will wipe the entire Kirisawa bloodline off the face of this earth and nothing will be left of you! Neither your name, your memories, nor your dreams will be spared! Anything related to you…I will destroy! That…is a promise!" Zan swore.
Mr. Kirisawa stood up.
"Then I'll fight to protect my family! FACE ME DREAMWEAVER!" Mr. Kirisawa roared and charged to attack.
"That was my intention…however…!" Zan suddenly appeared before Mr. Kirisawa. "…it's the end for you!" Zan whispered and slashed.
"FATHER!!!" Ai screamed.
In the scene that followed, it was sunset and Zan seemed to be waiting for someone. A jeep approached the mall he sat in front of.
Victoria descended from the jeep.
"Heh! Lemme guess, you already found out!" Zan teased her.
"You're Zan aren't you?" she asked.
"Let me get straight to the point, where is Ayumi Kirisawa?" Zan demanded.
"To think you could be the Zan I've always wanted to meet" she muttered.
"I don't care about any of that. I asked you a question. Will you answer it with words, or with your life on the line?" Zan asked her.
She sighed.
"I'll take you to her" Victoria said.
She had a sorrowful look on her face.
When they arrived at Victoria's mansion, Victoria motioned to Zan to follow her. Zan followed. Victoria led Zan through multiple barriers which he for the most part suppressed and evaded without drawing her attention. Eventually, Zan and Victoria reached a door.
"Those are all the barriers we need to go through. Prepare yourself Zan. Ayumi is at the other side of this door" Victoria said sadly.
Victoria opened the door and walked into the room.
"There is Ayumi" Victoria pointed.
In the direction Victoria was pointing to at the opposite end of the room was a bed. Beside the bed was a drip feed and other medical devices. Zan approached the bed, his eyes wide open in horror.
He approached cautiously. When he was close enough, he looked at the bed. Within the bed lay Ayumi. She looked lean and sick and appeared to be sustained by life support equipment.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Zan screamed in horror as he trembled.
He seemed to be caught in a strange frenzy of rage and pain. His legs gave way and he fell to the ground.
"No! No! No! No! NO! It can't be!" Zan screamed and felt tears flow down his face.
"On the day you were attacked, she tried to escape the scene and got run over by a hit and run truck driver. It is a miracle she survived. I happened to be at the scene with my father. We rushed her to the hospital. It was horrible. She was in so much pain. She kept repeating your name. 'Zan, Zan, Zan, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you'. She repeated that sentence over and over again till she lost consciousness. The doctors managed to save her life but her brain was extensively damaged. She has lost almost all her higher brain functions except those that keep her alive" Victoria explained.
Zan stood up and stared at her as though trying to make sure it was really Ayumi. It was really her. Her eyes were open but it didn't look as though she were conscious of her surroundings.
"Ayumi can you hear me?" Zan called but Ayumi had a lost painful look on her face as though she were feeling a great inner pain.
"Ayumi!" Zan called again.
Ayumi didn't respond. She didn't even blink.
"How can this…be? How could this…?" Zan muttered as images of the strong, arrogant girl he used to know mixed in with the scene.
"HOW CAN THIS BE?!" Zan screamed and ran towards the window, leaping through it and shattering the glass in the process.
He landed smoothly on the ground. He heard Victoria calling but he ignored her and kept running.
"This can't be happening! All these months I've carefully planned my revenge! And for what?! I discover that…Ayumi is pretty much a vegetable! I can't even carry out my revenge now because it won't even hurt her!" Zan growled angrily and kept running.
Somehow Zan found himself in Northern Dream City, the most religious part of Dream City. He approached the Church he had met Jesus in within the real timeline. He smirked.
"It is said that this is the only place to find real answers right? Let's find out how true that saying is" Zan said and entered the chapel.
No sooner had he walked into the chapel than he crashed into one of the altar boys.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Zan yelled angrily.
"Oh, I'm really sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to" the boy offered profuse apologies.
Zan realized that he could feel no animosity from the boy. This calmed him down
"It's okay" Zan said.
"I haven't seen you around in over three months" the boy said.
"Have we met?" Zan asked him.
"Yeah, we have. The last time I met you like this, you were in as much turmoil as you are now" the boy said.
"Hmm, I don't remember. But maybe I can tell you my problem" Zan said.
The boy smiled.
"I am always ready to listen" he said.
Zan seemed surprised and taken aback initially and then he proceeded to tell the boy everything.
"I see. So you can't carry out your vengeance against this girl because of the condition she is in now" the boy said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, and what makes me even more confused is that when I saw her in that state…I couldn't help shedding tears" Zan said.
"I see, but can't you just forgive her? Try to put yourself in her shoes. Besides, I think she has already received her punishment and I believe this is far worse than what you originally planned to do to her" the boy said.
"So what do I do?" Zan asked him.
"Is it peace of mind you seek? Do you wish to calm your troubled spirit?" he asked Zan.
"More than anything in this world. Since I saw her, I've been completely torn between loving her and hating her and all the memories I shared with her keep popping up in my head" Zan said.
"Then the answer is simple. Return to that girl and show her love. Help her recover with constant kindness. It's definitely going to be confusing at first but I can assure you that when all of this is over, you will find your answer" the boy said.
"What?! You want me to love someone whose entire existence revolves around killing me?!" Zan roared angrily.
"Precisely!" the boy said firmly.
"Why? Why should I care for someone who has only hurt me?! It's because of her that this curse of darkness is upon me!" Zan refused.
The boy smiled.
"Is it any different from what you do to me?" the boy said and pulled his long sleeves back.
There were deep wounds on his hands. He took off his shoes and removed his socks. There were more wounds on his feet. He pulled up his shirt to reveal a terrible wound at his side. All his wounds were still bleeding, constantly. Zan couldn't understand why he hadn't noticed them before.
"What are those wounds?" Zan asked for the wounds were terrible.
"I've had these wounds for a long time now but they've refused to heal. Sometimes, they look as though they are about to heal, then something happens and they open up and become fresh again. The pain is unbearable but I've never regretted having these wounds…I know it's definitely worth it. It's definitely worth the wait" the boy said with a smile.
There were tears in his eyes.
"But…how? Who gave you these wounds?" Zan asked.
"These wounds open up whenever an evil deed is committed or whenever an evil thought is conceived. They offer forgiveness. I take the main brunt of the pain the sinner is supposed to suffer" the boy said.
Zan opened his eyes in surprise.
"Are you trying to say…?! Could you possibly be…Nana Nyankopon Jesus Christ?!" Zan asked.
"Yes, but don't tell anyone. I'm here to oversee your development" he said with a wink.
"But…you're just a kid!" Zan exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's for your own sake, because you all see me as an all-powerful being who holds the power of judgement, many Christians are afraid to go for confession. I just wish they could see me as a friend, a kid, a teenager if it helps them feel any better. Besides, you wouldn't feel comfortable talking to me if I came to you as an adult now would you?" the boy said with a deep sigh.
"All this…just for me?" Zan wondered.
"Not just for you, I go this far for every person. It's just that you were one of the few that noticed me" the boy said with a laugh.
Zan looked confused, then he smirked.
"Heh heh heh! Perfect chance! I have always waited for the day you would appear before me like this…!" Zan said and pulled out a pair of scissors from his pocket. "Let's see how the creator looks…in a Mohawk! Heheehee!" Zan laughed maniacally.
"Stoooop!" Jesus screamed and evaded Zan with godlike speed.
Zan began to feel at home in the chapel. Zan eventually dropped to the ground and sighed.
"Maybe one day you will see me with a modern haircut but today is definitely not that day" Jesus laughed.
Zan realized that meeting Jesus was killing his desire for vengeance. He sighed.
"I'm not you. I can't just let it go" he said with a frown.
"Okay, tell you what? Try to be kind to Ayumi. Help her recover. What you do after that is entirely up to you but remember…I'm watching you, and I'll be protecting Ayumi as well" Jesus said and walked away.
"I'll try. Just until she recovers. After that…I will carry out my revenge!" Zan said and left the chapel.
That night, Zan dreamt of Ayumi's plea to him to come home to the Kirisawa Residence right before the incident with Despair.
The following day, Zan spent the morning torn between loving and hating Ayumi.
The next scene showed him in school. Victoria awaited him at the gate.
"You again?! Are you stalking me?!" Zan yelled angrily.
"That's an interesting thing to say considering the fact that you were the one looking for me yesterday" Victoria said with a slight chuckle. "Besides that you don't need to be so full of yourself. I'm a student of this school starting today" she said.
"So you are stalking me! What will your fiancé say when he finds out that you've enrolled in a rival school!" Zan scolded her.
"Fiance? You mean that blockhead?! All he thinks about is becoming the top delinquent in all of Dream City. I'd really like to see his reaction when he finds out" Victoria said with a sinister smile. "I also found out something interesting. You are the Dreamweaver aren't you?! You were the one that attacked the Kirisawa family, weren't you?!" Victoria growled angrily.
Zan smiled.
"Yes, it was me. I will do the same to you if…you intend on getting in my way" Zan threatened calmly.
"How could you do something so cowardly?!" Victoria scoffed.
"Oh so it was brave of them to attack an unarmed boy who had no idea of the Dream World as well as its endless wars?!" Zan yelled angrily.
Victoria's frown turned into a sad expression.
"It's not something we want to do. It's something we have to do" she said.
"But no one forces you. You choose to do it…to hunt me down like an animal since the day I was born. If you want to kill me, I dare you to try but don't expect me to just stand around and get killed" Zan warned.
"Right now I want to kill you…but if I do that now, Ayumi might never recover. I want you to help Ayumi recover but I guess I already know your answer" Victoria said sadly.
"I'll do it. I do intend to avenge myself but I can't do it with Ayumi in her current state so I'll help her recover…and then I'll kill her" Zan said with a sly grin.
"Now I see why your execution has been ordered. You are extremely warped" Victoria said.
"Thanks for the compliment" Zan said with a chuckle.
"Don't think I'll let you hurt Ayumi after she recovers" Victoria promised.
"We'll see about that" Zan returned her challenge.
In the next scene, Victoria and Zan stood in Victoria's mansion in front of the door that led to the room Ayumi was in. Victoria opened the door and Zan's confusion overwhelmed him. Ayumi was in bed in exactly the same position she was in the previous day but her eyes were closed this time. Zan stared at her.
"Do you think your dreamweaving powers can help her recover…even a bit?" Victoria asked.
Zan walked to Ayumi.
"I can probably cure her physical wounds but there is nothing I can do about her psyche" Zan stretched his hands over Ayumi and shut his eyes.
A red fiery energy burst from his hands and engulfed Ayumi. Zan was reweaving her spine and repairing her damaged organs. After he was done, Ayumi let out a deep sigh but she didn't look like anything had changed within her however she had a more peaceful look on her face. It appeared she was asleep. Zan dropped to the ground panting wearily.
"Why are you so tired? I was under the impression that you were much stronger than this" Victoria teased.
"I only get this exhausted when I use my evil powers for good" Zan said with a laugh.
"Hey Vikki. Could you bring Ayu some food? She no longer needs this" Zan said and detached the drip feed and removed all the life support systems.
"What the heck are you doing?! Are you trying to kill Ayumi?!" Victoria screamed in horror.
"I want to test her resilience but if she dies from such a simple thing as this, well…too bad for her" Zan said nonchalantly.
Victoria had a shocked expression on her face.
"Hey hey, you are saying some really scary things nonchalantly" she said.
"Go get some food for Ayu" Zan instructed Victoria.
She smiled and walked out of the room. Before she left, she muttered silently,
"You may not have noticed Zan but you're already calling her Ayu".
"How can I help her regain consciousness? What should I do?" Zan wondered.
"Show her love. Help her recover with constant kindness" Jesus' words echoed within the scene.
Zan had a sorrowful look on his face.
"Ayumi, can you hear me? I'm going to try my best to help you recover…I promise" Zan held her hand as though waiting for some sign of response.
"I guess love and hate really do go hand in hand. It's sad how fate has toyed with you both" Victoria said silently and walked into the room carrying a tray containing food and water.
"Are you sure she'll be able to eat?" Victoria asked.
"Ayumi, wake up" Zan called in a kind, yet commanding tone.
Ayumi opened her eyes slowly but she still had a blank look in her eyes.
"She responded!" Victoria exclaimed happily.
"Victoria has brought you some food. I'll help you eat" Zan said and helped Ayumi sit up.
"Are you going to feed her?" Victoria asked.
Zan had a look of embarrassment on his face.
"Y-Yeah, it does kind of feel awkward though, me feeding a girl" Zan said shyly.
Victoria giggled.
"It's not funny!" Zan yelled angrily.
"I don't find 'it' funny. I find 'you' funny" Victoria said.
"Jeez! I guess it can't be helped" Zan said and fetched some rice with a spoon.
"Eat Ayu" Zan commanded and Ayumi opened her mouth.
Zan fed her and she began to chew.
"How are you doing that?! She listens to you" Victoria exclaimed in awe.
Zan smiled.
"I guess part of her recalls the strength in my voice" Zan said and fed Ayumi.
Soon, Ayumi's plate was empty.
"You really can help Ayumi recover! I'm counting on you Zan!" Victoria cheered Zan on.
"Sure, I'll live on that tree outside from now on. I'll call you if I need anything. Help Ayumi to rest. Tomorrow is going to be quite exciting" Zan said and leapt through the glass window.
"Jeez! Must you keep doing that?! The window was repaired just this morning you jerk!" Victoria yelled angrily.
Zan climbed a mango tree in the Arthur's compound. It had wide branches. He smiled and plucked some mangoes and lay on a branch. He stared at the sky for a while before falling asleep. In his dreams, Ayumi held on to him tightly as he was being carried by the great wind after the alteration of the real timeline.
The next day, Zan woke up feeling confused yet very cheerful. He leapt down from the tree.
"Today marks the beginning of Ayumi's therapy" Zan said with a mischievous grin.
Victoria approached.
"Why the mischievous smile Zan? I hope you're not planning anything dastardly!" Victoria warned.
"Not really but that would be a really good idea, I think I should add something like that to my to-do list. Thanks for the idea Victoria" Zan taunted her.
Victoria sighed and led Zan to Ayumi's room.
"I think she needs a wheelchair. Being in here for so long isn't going to aid her recovery process. She needs fresh air and sunshine" Zan said.
"You make her sound like a plant" Victoria grumbled.
"Heh! I hadn't thought of it that way but that's an interesting way to put it" Zan laughed.
"But unfortunately, we don't have one. She was in so much pain she could hardly sit up so I didn't think she'd need one for a very long time" Victoria said sadly.
Zan smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll dreamweave one!" Zan said and hit Victoria.
She frowned angrily.
"Okay, allegro presto!" Zan called and waved his hands.
A spiky wheelchair appeared.
"What's this?!" Victoria yelled.
"Kekekeheh!" Zan chuckled evilly.
"ZAN!" Victoria glared at him.
"Oops, sorry. What about this one!" Zan called and the wheelchair transformed into a wooden one with cowbells hanging all over it.
"ZAN! IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Victoria roared but Zan seemed to be having the time of his life.
"No? What about this?!" Zan asked.
In the next instant, the wheelchair became a flaming chariot.
"ZAN! STOP IT!" Victoria yelled.
"Too much? How about…" however Victoria landed a heavy knock to his head before he could transform the chariot.
"Enough is enough! Can't you just create something normal?!" Victoria yelled.
"Jeez! Why do you have to be such a spoilsport! I think I should call you 'Ogu agor' from now on" Zan said.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Victoria yelled angrily.
"Spoilsport" Zan muttered.
"STOP REPEATING THAT!" Victoria ordered.
"But you just said you wanted to know the meaning of what I said" Zan said coyly.
"You're just too much" Victoria sighed in exasperation.
"I'll try something else" Zan said and focused on creating a wheelchair that would fit Ayumi's personality.
He shut his eyes and stretched his hands and let his emotions flow. There was a light breeze and flashes of light. The wheelchair that appeared resembled a flaming sigil.
"Zan! It's magnificent!" Victoria said but he was wheezing and coughing.
"Tell it to the guy who had to use his evil powers for good" Zan panted.
"Is it that painful? I thought you were pretending the first time" Victoria asked curiously.
"This was actually nothing. Anytime I use my Dreamweaver powers for good, it's torture. That's because I only learnt to use them for evil" Zan said.
"So are your Dreamweaver powers evil?" Victoria asked.
"No, but I only learnt to use them for evil so they took on an evil nature. Now when I try to use them for good, they torture me 'cos it's not really my intention to be good. I feel like I'm being forced" Zan explained.
"He's definitely got a few screws loose" Victoria seemed to be thinking.
In the next scene, Zan took Ayumi outside for some fresh air while Victoria busied herself with a book. There was a cool breeze flowing through the trees and a few clouds moved across the sky.
"There is nothing like a clear sunny day with a cool breeze" Zan let himself drop like a log on the lawn beside Ayumi.
Zan had placed her on the ground so that she could stare into the sky. Ayumi stared unblinkingly at the sky.
"What do you think Ayu? Don't you just love a day like this? If you were better, it would have been the perfect day to exact my revenge" Zan said and looked at her as though he expected some kind of response.
"I want to hear you tell me the reason why you chose to abandon me" Zan said as he recalled that terrible day. "Family comes first huh? Isn't human life more important? Back then, I was prepared to defend you from everyone and everything…even if it was against my own family. When I look at it from your perspective I guess you just wanted to protect humanity. You wouldn't care about an abomination like me…is that what you also thought of me…Ayumi?" Zan said sadly and stared at Ayumi.
Though she was unconscious, there were tears building up in her eyes. She had a sad expression in her eyes, almost of regret. A look of grief came over Zan's face, then he noticed the tears begin to stream down her eyes. He suddenly began to feel very terrible.
"It's okay though. I did survive so you have no reason to be sad anymore and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of such painful memories" Zan said.
Ayumi didn't reply.
Zan wiped her tears with his thumbs.
"You know, for the past four months, I've only been dreaming of you and your family. It's weird but…my dreams are the exact opposite of what actually happened to us. We were…happy. You know what? I want you to see my dreams so I'm going to turn them into a reality" Zan said and carried Ayumi on his back.
"Hey Vikki! We're going out for a while. Do you want to come with us?" Zan called to Victoria.
"Of course I'm coming! There's no way I'm going to give you the chance to hurt Ayumi!" Victoria called back and came out of the house.
Zan grinned.
"Can't trust me huh? Well, that's understandable. I am evil after all" Zan said and left the house.
From that moment onwards, Zan took Ayumi to all the places he had dreamt of. He took her to Y3 w) biribi k)t)k) chop bar first. The name of the chop bar or fast food joint transliterated to 'We are having a thing called a porcupine'. Zan ordered fufu and ap)nkye kakra (Goat Light Soup) as usual. They were served for free by Maame D)kon who was glad to see Zan. Victoria couldn't stand the peppery soup but Ayumi ate all of hers with Zan's help.
"Hey Vikki, if Ayumi can manage this in her present condition, isn't it a bit insulting that you can't endure it?" Zan played reverse psychology on Victoria.
Victoria became so infuriated she finished the fufu and drank all the soup. But after that she had to drink a whole jar of water to calm the burning sensation on her tongue. Zan laughed at her and ended up only making the entire situation worse.
Next, Zan led them to the roof of a storey building. Zan took out a box of stones from his secret hiding place. Victoria looked into the box and saw the stones. Then she noticed the buildings around mostly had glass windows.
"Don't tell me you're planning to…?!" Victoria exclaimed in horror.
"Well, I'll tell you even if you don't want to hear it. We're here to play a little game called Smashin' Mayhem!" Zan declared.
"Wow, what an interesting name for vandalism" Victoria said with a bored look in her eyes.
"Here I go!" Zan called as he hurled a stone at a building.
"SMASH!" glass windows were shattered.
"ZAN! YOU IDIOT!" Victoria screamed.
"Try it. Look, even Ayumi is doing it" Zan said as he placed a stone into Ayumi's hand and used her hand to throw the stone.
Another window was shattered.
"Taking advantage of a sick person, you are absolutely twisted!" Victoria scolded him.
An angry voice yelled back curses in a foreign tongue.
"Zan! Stop this!" Victoria warned Zan.
"If you don't throw at least one stone, I'm not going to stop and you know I can weave more stones if I want to" Zan said with a sly grin.
Victoria sighed in defeat.
"Fine, only one stone" she said as she picked a stone, aimed at the closest building and…SMASH!" she shattered a window.
"There, now I did it. So can you please stop now?" Victoria pleaded.
"Heheh! Heheehehehehee!" Zan chuckled mischievously.
"What's with the creepy laughter?!" she asked angrily.
"Victo-ria? I don't think you can stop now" Zan said with a smirk.
"Why is that?!" Victoria growled angrily.
"THE PERSON WHO THREW THAT STONE IS AN EMPTY STUPID FAT FOOL WITH A PSEUDOPODIC BODY!" a voice yelled angrily.
Victoria frowned and picked two stones.
"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU CALLING AN EMPTY STUPID FAT FOOL WITH A PSEUDOPODIC BODY!" Victoria roared and hurled stones continuously at all the buildings.
"Heh! When it comes to their bodies, girls are so damn predictable!" Zan grinned slyly.
Victoria seemed to be in so much rage she didn't seem to notice what she was doing till the box was empty.
"ZAN! WEAVE MORE STONES!" she threatened Zan.
"Just give me a second to carry Ayumi" Zan said and carried Ayumi on his back.
"What has carrying Ayumi got to do with weaving stones?! DON'T MAKE ME DECORATE YOUR FACE WITH QUADRUPLE SLAPS!" Victoria threatened.
Zan stared behind her.
"Wow, that's so beautiful, I didn't think I'd see a comet streak past Dream City" Zan said dreamily.
"A comet? Where?!" Victoria turned to look and in that instant…
"SAYONARA! BYE BYE! ADIOS! SEE YA LATER!" Zan called and sped off.
"I'll kill you Zan!" Victoria roared and chased after Zan.
The Ayumi within Chaos' sigil watched these events with a smile. She also resolved to believe in Zan.
In the next scene, Ayumi, Victoria and Zan were lying in a sea of lunar flowers. It was night and the stars sparkled beautifully. A full moon illuminated the sky and the lunar flowers responded with their beautiful light and fragrance.
"They are beautiful Zan. You're doing so much for Ayumi though you say you hate her. It's almost as though…you actually love her" Victoria said.
"I refuse to talk about my feelings" Zan said painfully.
"I'm sorry for intruding" Victoria said sadly.
"It's not because I don't want you to know about my feelings but because…I don't even know what I feel for Ayumi anymore. I don't know whether what I'm feeling now is love or hate" Zan said.
"Maybe it's because you are refusing to see the truth" Victoria said.
"Truth? And what exactly is the truth?" Zan asked her.
Victoria smiled.
"I'll let you figure that out on your own Mr. Dreamweaver" Victoria said and stood up.
Zan remained silent.
"You know, it will be exactly two months tomorrow since we began Ayumi's therapy a.k.a showing her the dreams of the Dreamweaver" Victoria said.
"Two months already?! Wow! Time really does fly…!" Zan exclaimed and stopped himself from saying more. "What? Did I really have so much fun taking care of Ayumi that my concept of time became so drastically disoriented?!" Zan wondered to himself.
Victoria noticed the shocked expression on his face and smiled.
"It looks like you have a lot to think about" she said.
"Some therapy huh? All we've managed to do is help her eat solid food and even with that…we have to feed her. I'm not saying it hasn't been crazy fun though but…we've gotten nowhere to helping her regain consciousness" Zan said sadly.
"Perhaps she doesn't want to wake up but…don't give up on her. Tomorrow is another day" Victoria said.
"I'm not giving up on her!" Zan roared and stood up.
Victoria stared at him and smiled.
"I mean…I'm not giving up on my revenge…yes, that's what I mean!" Zan said with a look of embarrassment on his face.
"Whatever!" Victoria laughed.
She didn't look convinced.
"It's gotten quite late. Let's head back home" Victoria suggested.
Zan looked at Ayumi. Though she still seemed unconscious of her surroundings, she looked peaceful.
"I guess we did do her some good after all" Zan said silently and carried her unto his back.
In the next scene, they were back at the Arthur's Residence. Ayumi was fast asleep. Zan wished Ayumi and Victoria goodnight.
"Don't worry Zan. We might gain some progress tomorrow. Get some rest. Goodnight" Victoria said.
"You make it sound like I actually care about Ayumi. Heh! You've grown insolent enough to talk to me as though we are friends" Zan said and turned towards the window.
"Whatever! You're such a dishonest guy. You say one thing but your feelings clearly show the other. Oh yeah, and one more thing, stop jumping…!" Victoria was saying when.
"CRASH!" Too late, Zan had already leapt through the glass window.
"Jeez! That jerk sure has some nerve! At least I know how it feels to have your windows shattered" Victoria recalled her rampage.
"Today sure was fun…" Victoria thought to herself.
Outside, Zan lay on the branch of the mango tree staring at the sky. The stars were sparkling very brightly, the infiniteness of the sky appeared to fill him with wonder. Images of the peaceful look in Ayumi's eyes mixed in with the scene.
"This world…is mysterious. It is terribly flawed…yet at the same time…it is mysteriously wonderful. Do I really want to destroy this world? What do I want to do? What do I really feel for Ayumi?" Zan wondered.
Zan smiled.
"I already know the answer to that. I just refused to accept it. I love Ayumi" Zan said and laughed. "I think that's what Jesus wanted me to discover, that I don't hate her. I can't actually hurt her even if I wanted to…so what do I do now?" Zan wondered and fell asleep.
Images of the real timeline flashed within Zan's mind.