THE HUMAN DREAMWEAVER AND THE STONE OF TRUTH VS THE DEPLORABLE DREAM AND THE SOUL OF LIES, MY KIN, MY FAMILY PART I: A PLACE TO RETURN TO, THE SEAL OF THE END AND THE PROMISE
IN WA, THE UPPER WEST REGION OF GHANA…
Dawn had arrived and the North East Trade Winds, known as the Harmattan, covered the land in mist. Zan was overcome with a profound sense of nostalgia, there was a feeling to the land that was indescribable. A feeling of distance and closeness at the same time; like there was more to the land than what they percieved. In the Upper West Region, the Baobab trees carried a feeling of agelessness when one stared at their tremendous heights and the scarce trees created a forest of sorts one could gaze a long distance through; like something between a Savannah and a dry forest. The land made one want to explore it even when one's mind told one, one may get lost.
Zan sat outside the house, staring at the thick mist that surrounded everything. At dawn though, one could barely see ahead of themselves. Zan seemed to compare the mist to his current situation. Zanfar and so many unexpected influences had entered his life, trying to see his own future or plan towards it was beginning to feel like attempting to see through the mist. One could walk through mist and not trip or bump into anyone, but there were no guarantees, there was only the hope and faith that one would arrive at one's destination safely.
Roughly five days had passed since the New Year. Zan's countrymen were still in the mood for celebration though but that dawn, Zan sat alone; just hoping to ponder the land of his origins. And then the Nightmare King, Sanziri, his father, the Destroyer Of Lies came and sat beside him.
"Dad, could you tell me a bit about our native land?" Zan asked him
The Nightmare King laughed.
"Funny that you, who grew on foreign soil wish to know more about your roots than the natives of the land" Zan's father laughed. "I recall my days as a youth, when we would go out to hunt food for the family and clan celebrations. Around this time, it was very common to see so many young boys, each with a dog beside them. We would hunt as partners, each hunter and his dog. Sometimes, we would even compete to see who lands the first kill. These days, it appears most youth hunt for smaller kills. Back in my days, deer, even wildcats were all game" my dad said with a sinister laugh.
"You do realize, that would be considered poaching nowadays right?" Zan asked him.
"Worry about poaching when you've fed every hungry man. When you're at the brink of death, killing an animal for survival isn't a sin and it's not a crime. But killing indiscriminately, the creatures we've been placed in charge of, it's one of the many sins of the Gigas, that led to the Great Flood Of Old. When a person has to choose between survival and law, nature dictates placing survival first" the Nightmare king said.
"Hey, hey old man, you're saying a bunch of scary things suddenly!" Zan drew back in alarm.
"But it is because we'll always be inclined to choose survival first that it's a precious gift when someone chooses to die for our sakes. For life is the greatest of treasures. Possess life, and you can possess many more treasures. Lose life and you can possess nothing. And that was why King Solomon chose Wisdom above everything else. It's like someone telling you to ask for anything you want including money that could last a lifetime; Solomon chose to claim the bank instead of money; and with that, he became king, possessed riches, fame and glory. But all that came from Wisdom and Wisdom comes from smaller things; things we don't place much value on these days. Take for instance, the name Jirapa; that land was named after the reed locally called "Gyir" that grew at the banks of the river. "Par" means beneath. The land was built beside the river that flowed beneath the reeds hence "Gyirpar" now transliterated Jirapa. A mark that calls to mind the situations that led to the building of the town Jirapa. Take Nandom for instance as well; this land you sit upon; after a long journey, our ancestors said "Let us rest" and that was how the land derived its name for Nandom is the Dagara word for "Let me rest". The power of proverbial names is in their ability to call to mind situations, even history. My name "Sanziri" and your name "Zan" are also examples" Zan's father explained.
"Tell me more about the Lion Clan we are affiliated to" Zan asked his dad.
"You keep saying Lion Clan as though the clan were some legendary group from history or an anime or martial arts movie. You may call it a clan but it is more than just a clan. You would be more accurate in referring to it as "a house". Our history isn't as glorious as the image you've created within your mind but it is one worthy of reflection. How interested have you been in studying Ghanaian history Zan?" Zan's father asked him.
"Not…very interested I must admit but I really did want to know more about the Lion Clan since Wanye told me it was the clan to which we were affiliated though then, I felt more like it was a clan I was adopted into. So when I found out that you, the Nightmare King were my dad, though I was angry, it made me a little happy to know I was affiliated to the Lion Clan by birth as well" Zan admitted.
"I'm sure Wanye in telling you about our history also informed you about the partitioning of Africa and the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade did he not?" Zan's father asked.
"He did" Zan said and hung his head in shame.
It was an embarrassing point in their history and they both knew it.
"You've noticed that most tribes in Ghana revolve around a chieftaincy system which was even stronger in the past. Well, the Dagara clan in its origins was one exception. We weren't ruled so much as we were guided; by a group of people called the "Custodians Of The Land"; the Tindana. They were both spiritual and customary custodians of the land. But you could also infer that due to this leadership, we weren't a clan formed on the principle of "centralized states" so during the conflicts that plundered our lands, we had no strong standing armies for our defence. Ruthless slave raiders would infiltrate our camps and sell our people to the foreigners who shipped us overseas" Zan's father narrated.
"You could also say, in hindsight, this created a miracle that led to the formation of the Houses. Many neighbouring clans resorted to scarring the faces of their clansmen for identification purposes and the scars for each clan was unique. They could not easily be copied because in some ways, they were also very similar. Only those who knew their significance would think to decipher them, assuming you were clever enough to determine that they had any significance at all. But our clan, the Dagara, hmmph, we were the exception. We would not resort to scarring so we were raided several times. Sounds pretty foolish huh? Well you're wrong. We were probably immature but this immaturity led to the miracle called the Houses for each time we were raided, we fled in different directions. We were scattered by our foes like the wind. But a few of us would eventually group together and settle down. Peace would last for decades until we were discovered and fled again in different directions. Then new groupings would be formed. It was like weaving a spider's nest; the more we were forced to flee, the more we grouped with different people from the same clan. During our many escapes, there were times, we were guided by certain animals or omens; who led us to new settlements. Hence, we took a vow never to harm those animals and those animals became totems. Our house was most likely guided by a lion; so the name of the animal or omen became the name of the "Yir" or house. So now, when we were forced to flee and we found one another anew, we would ask, "Where is the House To Which You Are Affiliated?" The reason for this question was, we knew we had a spiritual home, a land that was ours, given to us by God as our own possession but we were forced to flee that land. We knew we had a home but didn't know our way back home. So in new lands, our dwelling was repeatedly a temporary one as we were forced to flee repeatedly. To protect our identity, we each gave our groups a name whenever we were separated and as our cultures evolved separately, it became increasingly easier to distinguish one faction of our group from the other through the system of houses; and because our foes forced us into many temporary lands, our dwelling places increased making it easier for someone to point us back to a land we had formerly fled and if we've dwelt everywhere…who can hide our true home? And so we replied the question, "Where is the House To Which You Are Affiliated?" with the name of our familial House to point us back towards our home for in our hearts we know, though our past sins forced many crushing defeats on us throughout history; those many defeats are culminating in a pointer towards our true homeland. And that is to a great extent, our legend; a legend about a series of crushing defeats that led us to scour the entire face of the earth and by elimination, narrow down the road to our true home. Whether you choose to view this legend as a legend of defeat or triumph though is entirely left in your hands, but it will not change the fact that you are affiliated to the Dagara Clan's House Of Lions" the Nightmare King, Zan's father narrated. "So if it ever comes to the point that your humanity is consumed by Zanfar and I'm sure that time will come, remember that you have a place to return to" he added with a smile.
"It's interesting to note that your faith in me runs that thin" Zan chuckled.
"Of course it does! Before you are anything, first you are a human being and I'm not particularly trusting of human beings. But I have faith in your love for those around you and your drive to protect your bonds but as a human…nah, I don't trust you one bit. There is still time before the main battle begins. Why don't you rest a bit more, son?" the Nightmare king asked.
"I'd rather stay up watching our land for a little while longer, dad" Zan said with a laugh.
The Nightmare King laughed.
"I must admit, you're a little; just a pinch more likeable now, than you were in Dream City" the Nightmare King said.
"You are too" Zan scoffed; "just a fraction of an electron more likeable; that is" Zan said.
"That makes you just about as likeable as a pair of homologous chromosomes divided lengthwise by a microblade" the Nightmare King laughed.
"This is never going to end until one of us concedes is it? In that case, I give up; I'm getting kinda tired of exchanging pleasantries with you this morning" Zan said.
"That's my little nightmare" the Nightmare King said with a thumbs up and turned away.
"Ariel, our son really grew up well; I feel no regrets now. I just wish he weren't as much like me as he is" the Nightmare King said.
Finally, Zan had decided to take his father's advice and get some rest. But even in dreams, Zanfar was still making his moves. Within Zan's mind, there was darkness for a while, and then Zan noticed a familiar figure approaching him, cloaked in darkness.
"You've finally returned once more" the figure said to Zan.
"You're the one that keeps haunting me! I have no interest in your ideals! Get out of my dreams already!" Zan confronted him.
The fact that he had his father, the King Of Nightmares on his side, gave him a bit of courage.
"You've grown quite bold since I last saw you. In fact, you appear to have grown up in general. But in many ways, your naivety remains just as static as it has always been. At least this time, I did not have to lower the waves of energy around myself for you to comprehend me. What monstrous training has made you this strong?" Zanfar asked Zan.
"Fool! Like I'm going to tell you anything! I know what you're after!" Zan yelled.
And Zan really did. He also finally understood what his dad was after when he stopped him from continuous training. He had already intensely prepared to face Zanfar on a physical level however, Zanfar was a spiritual being. Zan was too tense and that tension was not leaving him no matter how hard he trained and when one is on edge, it is very easy to be provoked by evil. Zan's father sought to help him calm his spirit and focus it. One could think of random unfocused thoughts like shooting arrows without aiming for anything in particular or attempting to fight with a blunt sword. The Nightmare King also wanted Zan to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do to stop Zanfar's revival; but that didn't necessarily mean that there was no way to stop Zanfar himself. Once Zan accepted his own helplessness, he felt rather calm. There really was no point in worrying about what he couldn't change; but he could still try his utmost best, even if it was a venture doomed to failure…or at least, that was what the realm of common sense dictated in this matter. Zan only appeared stronger in Zanfar's eyes because his intentions were more focused; though he doubted even Zanfar would understand something as fundamental as that.
"Then you know that the key to Zanbӧngfar lies within your dreams. Zanbӧngfar can only be realized when Light and Darkness fuse; when Zanviel and I become one so Zanviel; it's about time you swore your allegiance to me like you did once before" Zanfar said as he stretched out his hand.
Zan stared at him as though he were being utterly ridiculous.
"Why hesitate? Everything about humans you once questioned; everything you detested about them…after a millennium of rapid development, you've seen them slink back into the dark ages. Once more Zanviel, I have proven to you how weak humanity is. A paradoxical creature that seeks peace in times of war; that was the battle their ancestors fought; and then seeks out war in times of peace; the ridiculous war they fight now. In the end, humanity desires neither peace nor war, they seek neither heaven nor hell. They align with neither your ideals nor with mine. They only align with the side that will grant them the greatest satisfaction; Zanbӧngfar; the dream every human wishes to dream…is a dream without God; a dream without anything to stifle them and you are wrong about the nature of Zanbӧngfar Zanviel; are you sure your Dagara translation of his name has been sufficiently done?" Zanfar asked Zan with a laugh.
"Your name Zan, means 'To dream' making your name a verb instead of a noun. At the same time dear Zanviel; the Dagara word "Zan" also means "To learn" and "To think" making the name Zanbӧngfar a multifaceted name which is not merely an abstract noun but a verb, an action; "To dream the Deplorable Dream"; "To learn the Deplorable Dream" and "To think the Deplorable Dream". You see, in the end, even I understand your name better than you do. Zanbӧngfar will be unleashed because it is the dream; the thought and the education that all of humanity desires; a dream; a thought and an education without God!" Zanfar declared.
"You devil! After perverting natural truth since the beginning of time, and perverting even supernatural truth; would you even go so far as to attempt a perversion of the Identity Of God himself?! Of Truth?!" Zan roared.
"Yes, I very much will because you see, we are in the age where he allows it to happen. You should have noticed by now, that the one who holds back the Chaos smiting the world has stepped out of the way ushering time towards the period of a three and a half year reign of darkness! This is the time where God actually allows the perversion of his name and you know what follows after don't you…his wrath! In the beginning of time, he cursed me to become the enemy of mankind, to eat dust, to devour dust; the material from which man was made but he also gave mankind superiority over me; man would crush my head though I would bite his heel. In every historical time, your foolish ancestors misinterpreted my desires. To destroy the earth? To destroy the world? To destroy mankind? Foolishness! You utter fools! Your desire only to perceive those things that satisfy you will ruin you this time in a way you will never imagine! My desire was never to destroy mankind; it was to give God the drive to finish off the creatures he himself created! To provoke him to wrath and now, that time is come! A time that will test to what extent God can remain true to his covenant! Between his wrath and his mercy; which endures greater?!" Zanfar roared. "Swear your allegiance to me Zanviel or watch more of your brethren fall in battle!" Zanfar ordered.
"And if I do, the result will still be the same, you are the fool Zanfar. Many ideas you believe you've had. Many of those moments in history you wreaked true havoc came as a result of mankind's ingenuity. You cannot denounce the genius within man; regardless of whether that genius is driven towards light or darkness. If the merging of genius with evil can create an almost invincible evil, then in hindsight, the same principle should be applicable with good. I'm not the kid who was always trembling in the face of your evil anymore Zanfar. Your flames can be put out; the problem is, man keeps trying to fight you with your own flames and if you wish to quench a bushfire by setting more fires…well I suppose the result is what you see now in the world. Your hatred can be broken by forgiveness. One day I will laugh at you Zanfar and mock you. You will seek out all of history from beginning to end and come to realize that your plan was practically a perfect one; by all common sense, you should have won but you won't be able to discover the fault in your schemes because, there will be so many fundamental truths that toppled your scheme than you were willing to admit could influence your plans in any way" Zan said.
"I see your speech is no longer governed by ignorance. I suppose it's time I played my final card. I had hoped to hold it back for a while. Your mother was just as adamant as you were. To this day, she still remains adamant, a light haunting my darkness, a scourge in my flesh. Though she plagued me for the past two decades, I saw fit to keep her alive for this moment; apparently, it was not an error in judgement. Now regardless of your will Zanviel, you will hand to me the seven elemental stones signifying the Seven Souls Of God's Virtue and unbind the Eternal Mirror Gate. I will give you till midnight today; and if you fail, I will unbind the gate myself but the life of the Princess Of Dreams will be forfeit!" Zanfar declared.
"You demon! What have you done to my mother?!" Zan roared.
"She remains alive; her light protecting her from being devoured by me however…she is not so indispensable I can't overlook devouring her. I don't mind losing her soul to the light to see God's wrath fall on the rest of mankind!" Zanfar declared. "This very midnight of this very day, you will behold my omen in the moon; at that time, you will realize that the time has come for my unsealing but for my revival to be made complete, I need you" Zanfar declared as he pointed to his forehead.
Zan noticed the omega symbol on his forehead as he faded into the darkness. And then, Zan woke up.
Zan's father, the Nightmare King stretched his hand to him. From the way he was standing, he apparently had been watching Zan the whole time.
"That fool, he finally made his move didn't he?" Zan's father said.
Zan nodded.
"Then it is finally time. Remember this Zan. In the past, I, King Sanziri Nightbane, defeated Ziri but a true king knows that evil is persistent and sly and will never give up. I defeated Ziri, the king of lies, but I lived as though he still prowled the earth, as though he were undefeated. During that time, I met many people and we put in place measures in anticipation of this day; The Battle of Black Water Bridge and the conversion of the Kirisawas; the alliance between and the allegiances of the Kenyahs and Arthurs; those were a few of those many measures. And the greatest of these measures was my marriage to your mother and your birth. Long before I had met your mother, I intended to create a Dreamweaver so that the strongest allies you needed when the time came for you to confront your destiny would gather around you. Zanfar underestimates God. Yes, God allowed all this evil to occur so that when his wrath finally broke out on the world, it would break out in full. But Zanfar also forgets that it is while God's wrath is still breaking out that He stretches out his hand to dry up the Great River Euphrates to pave the way for a Second Exodus! Just a little longer…we refuse to fight the Devil with his own tools! We won't fight war with more war! Forgiveness will break this endless cycle of hatred and all of you that have felt the stirring in your heart, I don't need to tell you that the time has come. The strongest souls within all realities; the time for your unison has come! The time to cry out with one voice; the time to sing that one song! If you hear me and understand me it is time to unite and do battle against Zanfar!" Zan's father roared.
"What are you doing? How will anyone hear you? And how do we fight without war?" Zan asked his father.
"In the past, we fought with swords to expand the Kingdom Of Christendom. You could say, to a large extent that was what created this mess, even if a lot of good did come out of it. But in the last few years, Christianity has been undergoing a renewal; a revival. The trials we've been facing have taught us true helplessness and the fear of death but it has also worked to strengthen our resolve. Our confidence is in the fact that the power of life and death lies only in the hands of God; nothing happens unless he allows it to happen and he did say these things will happen but when they do, you will know that he told you of these things. This is a fight we will win but it is not a fight to be fought with swords; it is a fight to be fought with spirit. We won't pit swords against swords; we will pit truth against lies and what is the proof of our truth? We have nothing to profit from it; not materially anyways. Declaring it puts us at great risk but we will triumph!" the Nightmare King declared.
"Seven Souls Of Virtue you now hold in your hands. Zanfar wishes to teach the world the Deplorable Dream; then I too have done my utmost best to teach the world the essence of the Beautiful Dream. Courage; a strength that faces fear instead of denying it. Freedom; the power to choose with will instead of out of duty or instinct; Hope, the power to forge new paths that cannot be forged by conceit; Forgiveness; the soothing balm that binds rifts and closes the passageways to hell leading to true peace and balance; Conscience, the parental voice that corrects without condemning, a voice that guides; Goodness; the spirit of watchfulness that fights devilish conspiracies by acting in the face of evil, and in places in need of comfort and love; and finally Truth; God; Love who encompasses all the Souls Of Virtue and coordinates them in their confrontation of the Souls Of Evil. Seven Books hoping to explore these Souls Of Virtue. This is the final book written by Ayzan Nightbane, the Human Dreamweaver; and it will be a book, written with my life!" Zan declared as the Seals Of Identity appeared on his face. His eyes reassumed the mercury like nature they once possessed when he was accepted by his clan.
"Let's return dad! To Dream City!" Zan declared as they flew.
"Stupid Zanfar. You tend to assume that people that walk alone are alone and that will lead to your downfall. You've forgotten that I Ananse; the Weaver Of All Stories is on their side and there is one more person you've completely failed to factor into your calculations; the one also known as the Breaker, nicknamed Code Ageless" Ananse smirked as he watched Zan and the Nightmare King fly towards Dream City.
IN THE KIRISAWA RESIDENCE…
Ayumi woke up that morning, feeling a bit down. It had been a while since she had last spoken to Zan. And thanks to the Nightmare King's act of "spiriting Zan away" impromptu, he couldn't exactly contact her. He wouldn't even allow Zan to use the Pyrostellis Luminares. Ayumi freshened up and headed towards the Hall Of The Kirisawa Residence. As she approached, she heard angry voices yelling at each other and then the clashing of swords.
She rushed downstairs and hid behind the wall staring into the Hall; Pyrostellis was already on standby.
"Huh?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
Mr Kirisawa and Zan were really going at it in there; on a rampage!
Ayumi slapped herself on the forehead.
"That idiot. What is he up to now? This totally ruined any dreams I had for a wonderful reunion" she sighed and slumped to the ground.
Zan heard the sound and turned to her.
"Hey Ayu! How're you doing?!" Zan called happily.
"Oh go right ahead, don't mind me. Or better yet, go jump in a black hole as it absorbs the blast of a hypernova" she muttered.
Zan collapsed to the ground. Overwhelmed by the cruelty of her words. Wow, karma is no fool is she?
"I understand your concerns Zan, but I can't hand the elemental stones to you, even if there is the slight chance that the Princess Of Dreams is alive" Mr Kirisawa declared.
"The person you're talking about is my mom!" Zan roared.
Bottomline; drama talk, no actual game plan. Truth is, in the end, the only solution Zan could see was handing the stones to Zanfar and sucker punching him when he started cackling gleefully.
"What's going on?" Ayumi suddenly seemed concerned.
Then she noticed Ai standing in the corner staring at Mr Kirisawa with a scared look on her face.
"Zanfar has my mom. And he wants me to bring the seven elemental stones to him before midnight tomorrow or he will show her the quickest way off this mortal coil and then the world as we know it won't be as we know it as Jaden Yuki so finely put it. There's not enough time to come up with an effective plan and well, the Dream Knights, I'm not so sure they're my allies anymore so we don't have resources on our side either" Zan said.
"Calm down Zan. I understand that you're worried but we can't make rash moves now" Ayumi said as she stood up and approached Zan.
"How can I calm down when Zanfar is holding my mom hostage?! I've never even met her in real life and now that I know she's alive, even if it is a lie, I want to be sure!" Zan declared.
O-kay, so let us calmly review Zan's game plan to counter Zanfar.
Previously on Dreamweaver;
Zanfar: Join me Zan!
Zan: Hahahaha! Never in a million cross dimensional years you agelessly naïve moron! I will crush you!
A day later:
Zan: Heh, you're really naïve Zanfar! I will crush you…by running from you!
That was pretty much Zan's offensive strategy then. Ayumi smiled.
"Let's give this sometime Zan, okay? If you think about it carefully, Zanfar may be trying to provoke us into making the first move. In my opinion; it might be better to allow Zanfar to make the first move so that we can counter him from there and come up with a plan; or make one up as we go along. Being impatient won't get us anywhere. So in the meantime, why don't we go out on a date? We haven't really gone out on a date yet have we?" Ayumi asked.
"Eh? In the face of global catastrophe, you can actually suggest a date so calmly?" Zan asked her.
"Global problems are extensions of more localized problems. If we solve our own problems, the world will eventually solve its" Ayumi said.
"Haaah?! I fail to understand your logic or illogic and we both know I renounced my logic a long time ago so if you a Demi-Dreamweaver is spouting something I fail to comprehend…what hath I wrought?!" Zan exclaimed in horror.
"Think about it, countries are not run by buildings or roads, but by people which means, its people that influence world affairs. Which means global problems at their root are caused by individuals, then extended through groups, organizations; and then nations. So if the top necromancers; the people who influence affairs and not affairs themselves, decided to stop necromancing, then there we go, problem solved" Ayumi said.
"You're spouting some really malefic things nonchalantly. You do realize that don't you Ayu? Fine, I give; I'll go on a date with you but please stop presenting me with such frightening viewpoints. Next thing you know; calibrating satellites; target confirmed…DE-PYROSTELLIZE AND INFINITELY LUMINARIZE THAT BRAT!!!" Zan roared as a doomsday scenario played within his mind.
(SFX: Dampierre from Soul Calibur Broken Destiny: YOU COWAARRD!!!!)
And that's how it goes.
Ayumi laughed.
"You'll never change will you? I derive some sense of security from your constancy, you know?" she said.
"That actually came out of her lips!" Mr Kirisawa exclaimed in shock.
Ai was blinking in disbelief as well.
"Could you tell me more?" Zan raised an eyebrow and teased her.
"You'll pay for this Zan!" she yelled and run upstairs.
"Oh boy, I think I just ruined my date" Zan said.
So how exactly did Zan end up back in the Kirisawa residence? After battling Decay and Sloth the previous day and having to deal with seven of himselves, it was quite a similar situation to how he ever ended up staying at the Kirisawa residence in the first place. And with the impending battle with Zanfar drawing so close, he needed to be as close to the Dream Knights as possible, even if it meant he was being monitored.
As he got changed, he took one more look at the Rhino horn chain Wanye had given him. His dad had taken him to his hometown, back in Ghana. It wasn't as glorious a place as he had imagined but he definitely felt something. He couldn't explain it. It felt almost as though he was on the land but not seeing everything it really was. Like he was in the land but it was far away, a feeling similar to nostalgia he couldn't explain, almost like listening to a mysterious lullaby while watching the stars. He no longer felt like Wanye was far from him. He had also met, Darag-Arökna and Arälpheisl through the Pyrostellis Luminares, they had told him something he did not yet understand.
"Zanfar can be defeated, Zanbӧngfar can be defeated but if the force you are going to rely on to fight them is your sigil, then you might as well assume that they are invincible".
Zan wondered if there was a weapon out there that could defeat Zanfar and in the worst case scenario, Zanbӧngfar. He thought deeply, maybe King Arthur's Excalibur actually existed or at least some legendary weapon somewhere on the face of Reality or at least the Dream World. His father once murmured something about a weapon called the "Kommeno Syndesmo" but then he thought about it and said it would be useless as well since its nature is similar to that of a sigil but then he smirked and said "...it could serve other purposes". As you can imagine, Zan still had a hard time figuring out whose side he was on.
Meanwhile, Ayumi was done preparing as well. She sat on her bed and stared at the wrapped up package the two men had given her.
THE PREVIOUS DAY...
"Ayumi Kirisawa, you may not know us but we've met your sister Ai once, during the battle of Black Water Bridge. Your eyes are different now than they used to be. You have the eyes of one who has found herself so we will present you with a gift. This blade; it is a sigil but one forged from many feelings. It has the power to sever bonded forces of a polar opposite nature. However, over time, its blade has been dulled by the superfluous feelings roaming this world and that is why truth appears to be a force that holds almost no power in your world. Do you wish to save Zan?" Darag-Arökna asked her.
"I do. If there is a way, please tell me" Ayumi pleaded.
"There is a way. If ever there is a time he is consumed by evil to an extent that he loses sight of who he is, you might be forced to teach him how to be human all over again. As absurd as it sounds, he might have to learn from scratch how to be human. That is what this sword does. Fill it with the depth of your feelings and plunge it into his heart, however if your feelings are not true, he will remain corrupted and destroy you and everything and eventually, himself. Can you live with that?" Arälpheisl said.
"What is this blade?" Ayumi asked as she took it within her arms.
It felt lifeless. There was absolutely nothing special about it.
"Its name is "Kommeno Syndesmo". It means "Severed link"; and so you should be prepared as well...in case the result of its use is that you'll be forgotten again" the two men said as they disappeared.
PRESENTLY...
"This Christmas season sure has been hectic. To think I actually fell in love. I even have a New Year's present for Zan as well" Ayumi laughed at herself.
"We will celebrate the New Year together Zan!" Ayumi swore to herself and got up
"I'll find a way to overcome Zanfar and live!" Zan swore to himself and left his room.
When he was downstairs, he heard footsteps behind him.
"Zan" he heard Ayumi call to him.
He turned to look at her and was immediately dazzled by her beauty. Ayumi wore a dazzling dress. Zan was not used to seeing things as expensive as those and he had never actually seen Ayumi in a dress since he was used to seeing Ayumi in Army camouflage so he forgot how to breathe and collapsed.
"Zan!" Ayumi called and rushed to help him.
"Are you okay?" she asked with a laugh.
Ai giggled as well.
"He's never seen you in a dress before so this might be a rather 'normal' reaction" she said. "You realize what Mom said back then really has come to pass?"
Ayumi thought back and nodded with a nostalgic look on her face.
TEN YEARS EARLIER
Mrs Kirisawa had been invited to dinner by one of her colleagues. Ayumi and Ai had insisted on going with her and so she eventually decided to take them along. When she asked them to go and get themselves prepared. They both came back, Ai clothed appropriately; Ayumi on the other hand...in army camouflage.
Mrs Kirisawa giggled.
"Ayu, I can't take you along if you're wearing that. You'll scare everyone away" she said. "Besides, if you're always going to wear army camouflage, I wonder how you'll find a husband".
"Heh! No thanks. If they're going to be intimidated by army camouflage, then I think its best they stay away. Besides, all the boys I've seen so far are weaklings and if I'm going to get married, he should be about as strong as...Oda Nobunaga!" Ayumi declared.
Mrs Kirisawa laughed loudly. Mr Kirisawa rushed in to hear what was going on and when she told him, his reaction was...
"Hahaha! As expected of my daughter! If you ever bring home a man like that, be sure marriage will be the next agenda!" Mr Kirisawa said.
"Fist bump dad" Ayumi said emotionlessly as she stretched out a fist.
Mr Kirisawa bumped her little fist.
"I'm glad to hear you at least have intentions of marriage in mind. I really do hope though that you do not bring a warlord home but whoever you choose, my hope for him is that at that time, you would at least have learnt to appreciate dresses a bit more" Mrs Kirisawa said with a smile.
PRESENTLY...
"I guess Mom knew best right?" Ayumi said with a sad tone.
"Yup, she did" Ai laughed.
Zan opened his eyes and stared up at them.
"Whoa, I just had a weird dream. I thought I saw Ayu in a..." Zan tried to sit up while saying; but then he realized there were two Ais. Either that or one of the girls beside him was Ayumi in a dress, and then,
"Oh, my dream was real".
Zan forgot how to breathe once more and collapsed.
Ayumi laughed and reached for him. He stretched out his hand and took hers.
"Are you ready to leave Zan, for our first official date?" Ayumi asked him.
She had a smirk on her face. But it couldn't hide the fact that the words were struggling to leave her lips. Zan nodded. It had taken a long time but finally, Ayumi and Zan had accepted one another. It was time to leave. Ayumi borrowed the keys to one of the family's many jeeps and they left. They headed to the best places in Upper Dream City.
Zan couldn't help asking her many times though where they were headed. Before they arrived at their first destination, she replied saying;
"You've shared with me everything about your life; now it's time for me to share my life with you".
When she smiled as she said that; Zan almost forgot an imminent face off with Zanfar was nigh. He sighed nervously.
"Relax" Ayumi guessed what he was thinking, "we won't do anything overly extravagant" she promised.
However, the first restaurant was beyond extravagant; it was extremely up there at royal level; a Chinese Restaurant to boot.
"And…this doesn't qualify as extravagant…how?" Zan asked Ayumi.
She grinned at him mischievously with her eyes tightly shut and gave him a thumbs up.
Zan glared at her suspiciously as they walked into the restaurant. Inside were a lot of affluent looking people dressed so well, Zan practically felt rightly like a kid. Ayumi suddenly grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to a table. Zan honestly had no idea about any niceties or lady pampering then so he sat down without first pulling out a chair for Ayumi. She didn't seem offended. In fact, this trait of his seemed to be what endeared him to her even more.
As quickly as they were seated, a waiter was at their table requesting their orders. Zan requested some coca-cola.
"Excuse me?" the waiter seemed confused.
"I want a coke if you don't mind" Zan ordered.
"Are you trying to be funny mister?" he asked Zan.
"Am I laughing?" Zan raised a questioning eyebrow.
"H-Hey, calm down, both of you" Ayumi got between them both before they could create a scene. "Bring us the best non-alcoholic wine you have" she ordered.
"TCH! What lousy service! They don't even know what a coke is" Zan muttered not realizing then how foolish he was being.
Soon, they were served. Zan had never drunk anything so good in his life. Next, they received the menu. Every kind of food Zan was familiar with was on that menu including extras he was unfamiliar with.
"I've tried fufu, so why don't you try something Japanese? It's your turn to suffer some consequences" Ayumi said with a smirk.
Well, between the time she said that and the time Zan finally returned from the washroom, I leave the rest to your imagination. Ayumi mocked Zan so much he almost felt like crying.
Finally, the killer part came and you can guess what that was; the bill! Zan had honestly never seen so many zeroes in his life. He learnt a very valuable lesson that day. The value of any money bill was in the number of zeroes it could hold. Zan counted twelve zeroes if his eyes did not deceive him that day. That was enough to buy a Suzuki Hilux in 2012. It appeared cars got expensive the older they became; something about collectors he didn't know. He wondered why such a trade secret would exist anyways. Who would want an old car? He was shocked when Ayumi told him people would kill to get their hands on some old models. It made sense if you thought of it in the sense of a museum but welcome to Lower East Side Dream City where they didn't actually care. There, food comes first before cars!
However, Zan was also forced to acknowledge at that moment just how expensive Ayumi was. Would he ever be able to provide her with all of these expensive necessities she was used to having? Ayumi noticed his discomfort.
"Is something wrong Zan?" she asked him.
"Honestly Ayu. What do you see in someone like me? I'll never be able to give you these luxuries" Zan admitted brokenly.
Ayumi placed her hands over his.
"Zan, you should know by now that all of these luxuries mean nothing to me. I'd give up all of these in a heartbeat, just to spend another moment with you" Ayumi said sincerely.
She was staring deeply into his eyes. Her golden gaze seemed to pierce into his soul.
"That's a bit overly dramatic" Zan said in disbelief.
"I'm serious Zan. I consider myself very lucky to have been fortunate enough to find someone like you; a knight of your calibre is not easily found; not even in the world of dreams; of that I am serious too" Ayumi said.
Zan felt the truth in her words but Ayumi turned away from him.
"What's wrong Ayu?" Zan asked her.
"On the other hand, I've been unable to honour my mother's words to protect the one I love; I keep getting in your way and you have to be the one getting hurt trying to protect me. Chaos said something to me once that I was the one drawing you to the darkness. I've seen his words come to pass over and over again" Ayumi said.
"And why is this starting to sound like another reason to stay apart?" Zan asked Ayumi.
"It's not. It's true you've been enraptured by the darkness due to the anger you've felt towards me for the death of Wanye but I've seen you break out of it as many times as you've been trapped within it. You are going to do it one more time aren't you Zan? Zanfar won't overcome you will he?" Ayumi asked worriedly.
"Well, I'd say you just answered yourself" Zan said as he drew his chair closer to his dear little Ayu.
"Zan!" Ayumi called as she wept on his shoulder.
Zan placed his arm around her to comfort her.
"Let's try a less solemn place than a restaurant. All that devouring might have had a bad effect on our conversation" Zan said to Ayumi and they walked to her jeep.
Once she calmed down, she asked Zan where they should go next. Zan replied telling her that he was unfamiliar with the Upper Sides Of Dream City.
"Why don't we go shopping then?" she suggested.
Zan felt uncomfortable with the use of the word "shopping" considering the huge crevasse in their classes.
"Ayu, I really don't want you to spend your money on me" Zan said quite truthfully.
"No enthusiasm for clothes huh? What about gadgets" Ayu asked.
"I don't think so" Zan said bluntly.
"Videogames?" she asked Zan.
"Mmm, lemme think, though they qualify as gadgets and sound convincing…may…be…nah!" Zan deflated her balloon of excitement that was swelling up.
Little did he know then that she was holding back her trump card; which Zan rightly said was an ace of spades that gave birth to a legendary poet.
"What about anime?" she said in a seductive tone.
No way in a million; no, a bazillion cross-dimensional years was Zan going to say no but he couldn't make it seem like he was too eager either.
"How many?" Zan asked her.
"All you can eat?" she said with a smirk.
"At least you're no pirate. I'll have you know that there's no turning back from this dear little Ayu" Zan challenged her.
Soon they were at an anime shop. Ayumi ushered Zan in and pointed to the treasure trove of untouched pretties.
"I'll take this and this and this and this too. Don't forget those and that one" Zan chose greedily.
"You might as well just buy the shop" the shopkeeper interrupted them.
"Are you offering?" Ayumi asked.
"SERIOUSLY?!" he screamed.
"Ayu" Zan gave her the "you can't be serious" look. "It might not really be about the money. The shopkeeper may have a sentimental attachment to his shop" but before Zan could make his point, the deed to the shop was already in Ayumi's hands and it was a done deal.
"ACCCCCKKKKKKKK" was all Zan could say.
The world up there sure is a scary place. Ayumi handed Zan the deed.
"There you go dear. Now you can manage all the animes you want" she said.
"AND TELL ME HOW EXACTLY I'M SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE WITH THESE KINDS OF THINGS!" Zan yelled at Ayumi.
She hired the shopkeeper to manage affairs and Zan's case was settled.
Zan stared at her in shock. This bride to be of his was a member of the frightening aristocracy, plutocracy, and all other decorated bankruptcies as Zan's dear friend Emma Colette would so fondly put it.
They stuffed the trunk of the car with as many valuables as possible for a hopeful movie marathon they'd agreed to watch together with the family after the entire Zanfar business was over and done with. Whether it was denial or an extreme hopefulness for something that seemed almost like a literally doomed venture, they'd already made up their minds that they'd survived the terrible imminent onslaught of Dreams versus Nightmares that was about to unleash itself on the world.
They were now in the jeep a third time and a third time yet again, Zan asked dear little Ayu where their next destination would be. This time she only answered saying;
"It's a surprise so look forward to it".
Ayumi drove them to the outskirts of Dream City.
She noticed that Zan had been calling her Ayu a lot now and told him once she'd feared she'd never hear that name escape his lips ever again. She'd feared it. Zan hadn't noticed it himself. He reminded her that he was under the impression that she hated that name. She replied by asking him whether he purposely called her that to annoy her and he told her, she should have already known that.
"You're really something else Zan" were her words and then silence reigned for a while between them.
They now climbed a mountain at the outskirts of town. A mountain overlooking the entire Dream City. They left the jeep and finally breathed in some cool outside air. The mountain had a small town on top of it but was mostly a forest plain of sorts. Ayumi and Zan sat down and overlooked all of Dream City.
"This is a sacred place for my family. When my mom was alive, my dad, Ai and I used to come here a lot. We don't usually visit the place together now that she's gone" Ayumi said.
Zan realized then how much Ayumi valued him to have brought him to such a sacred place.
"Why have you brought me to such a sacred place?" Zan asked Ayumi.
"It's because I want you to know me…the real me" she replied as she stared deeply into Zan's eyes.
"I already know the real you silly; now what's the real reason" Zan asked.
"Look, you can see all of Dream City from here" Ayumi said as she pointed.
Zan could already see how high up they were but to avoid sounding rude, he looked over the horizon and beheld all of Dream City. The sun was starting to set and he felt like he wanted to stay up there for a longer while. But when it began to dawn on him that they'd have to get down soon; he wished there were lunar flowers up there even after the sun set and resolved to bring some up there eventually to surprise Ayu.
"It's really beautiful in the sunset isn't it?" Zan asked Ayumi.
"Yes, it is. I'd like to spend my life like this, watching sunsets with you" Ayumi confessed.
There was a slight sound of embarrassment in her voice.
"I'd also like to spend my life watching many more sunsets with you" Zan promised Ayumi.
Ayumi held Zan's hand and they sat on the mountain grass watching Dream City glisten in the sunset.
"Zan, the truth is that…I'm scared. I'm really scared of the future. Now that we've gathered all of the stones…what if Zanfar is too strong for us. What if he overwhelms you and takes over your mind and body? I don't want to lose you again" Ayumi said.
"I am scared too Ayu; but that is why I need you to be strong for me; so that I too can be strong. Zanfar will not overwhelm us. We are stronger than his darkness. We will not lose to him!" Zan declared.
"But Zanfar is the darkness no human could defeat. It took God Himself to finally beat him down" Ayumi said worriedly.
"And in whose image were we made, if not God's. It's true, the Devil was cursed to eat dust, the material from which man was made but it was in this same material God chose to incarnate and crush him for good. If you can't believe in me, don't doubt the God that I serve. You've seen just how much of a lucky bastard I am haven't you. So blessed I'm cursed. Not many people have that title in all of existence" Zan smiled at Ayumi.
She laughed at him.
"If it makes you feel any better I will make you a promise" Zan said.
Ayumi nodded. "I do believe in you Zan, but I'm still honestly scared. I have been a Dream Knight for a long time. Far longer than you have and talk concerning Zanfar isn't something you take lightly. You sh…." Ayumi was saying when Zan interrupted her.
"I promise on this sacred mountain that we'll celebrate the New Year together. I promise not to die by Zanfar's hand or to get taken over if it can be helped. I promise to live on with you and to see the future with you and…I promise to protect you even if the adversities we face seem hopeless" Zan promised Ayumi.
She smiled.
"I also promise to believe in you and in your promises; to protect, love and to see the future with you Zan. On this sacred mountain, I make my promise" Ayumi promised.
"There, do you feel better?" Zan asked her.
"I trust you Zan. There is no way you'll break your promise now is there? You've always kept your promises" Ayumi said.
"Of course silly but after all of this, I'd say we're engaged" Zan laughed.
Ayumi laughed too.
"I guess so" she said.
When the sun finally set, the moon finally showed itself; it's beautiful silvery white colour…they began to feel happy…then (CRUNCH!) that stupid Zanfar decided to bad time them! A gigantic omega red symbol appeared around the moon as though an evil eye was watching them.
"Wh-What's that?!" Ayumi asked Zan in shock.
"It's…the Seal Of The End! Zanfar's Insignia!" Zan exclaimed in horror.
Almost immediately after Zan had uttered those words, a red dark flash of energy descended to the earth in the direction of the Kirisawa residence.
"It's towards the house Zan! We've got to check up on Dad and Ai!" Ayumi declared as she took out her cellphone and attempted to call both of them.
The dial tone could be heard but no one was picking up their calls. So they cut their first date short and rushed to the car. Once the engines had been revved, they were off and Zan had found one more reason to smack Zanfar's tail across the galaxy.
"Something's wrong! I can sense it" Ayumi said grimly as she tried to remain calm and called multiple times.
When she called a few times more, the lines were dead.
"Zan, whatever that was could be after the Elemental Stones Of Sealing" Ayumi said.
The serious look on her face terrified Zan. Ayumi drove like crazy breaking as many traffic laws between the mountain and the Kirisawa residence as could shorten the time they could make it there. Zan's mind was focused on the insignia over the moon above them.
"Something really ominous is about to happen" Zan thought.
Zan glanced at Ayumi every now and then. The more serious she became, the more scared he was.
"Ayumi, I know this sounds out of place but could we make a quick stop at the church in Northern Dream City?" Zan asked her.
When she turned to look at Zan, he could tell she was trying to conceal her impatience and that she couldn't understand his request but she didn't object and turned towards Northern Dream City.
They found themselves at Christ the King Catholic Church. Zan pulled Ayumi towards the altar.
"Zan, what are your intentions?" Ayumi asked nervously.
He could see how out of place she felt in this sacred place. When they arrived on the altar, Zan knelt on the stairs and beckoned Ayumi to do the same beside him.
"What are you doing?" Ayumi asked Zan.
"I know it's silly but I figured now is the time to introduce you to Jesus Christ; the God I serve, my one and only true God" Zan said and smiled at Ayumi. Then Zan turned to the huge crucifix looming a few metres away from them; hanging on the wall. "Hello Jesus, I know you already know Ayumi but I figured a formal introduction should do us all a lot of good. Jesus, the girl before you is Ayumi Kirisawa, the girl I love; the woman I've decided to spend my mortal years with. Ayumi, this man hanging from the cross is Jesus, the only man in all of existence that loves you more than I do. Feel free to voice your worries. Jesus, I am placing my faith in you once more. I know you have never disappointed me before, so please do not disappoint Ayumi" Zan said.
"H-How do I talk to him?" Ayumi asked nervously.
"He doesn't mind you just speaking to him as though you were speaking to a dad or friend but when we speak to him formally, it is appropriate to kneel and clasp your hands together with your thumbs crossing each other, shut your eyes so that you do not get distracted. Now take in a deep breath and speak" Zan instructed Ayumi.
She obeyed.
"Now voice out your worries" Zan said.
"Hello Lord Jesus,
I've heard a lot about you. Even the Dream Knights speak highly of you. You were the very first and prominent human we know to choose death over life for the sake of others even when you were completely innocent; and you were the only human to ever defeat the evil no man could ever beat; The Deplorable Dream; Zanbӧngfar; a dream that struggles to deny the existence of God.
Once I was close to you but I lost my faith after losing my mother to an unfair death. Our family was broken. You probably know best what I went through but in spite of my faith, I can tell you are the reason Zan is surrounded by such life. He sure knows how to stand from a brutal beating"
Ayumi teased Zan and opened one eye to look at him.
"H-Hey Ayumi! That's very unfair!" Zan scolded her.
"But I'm really scared now" she said.
Zan remained silent, hoping to hear her true feelings.
"I've never been this scared in my life and it scares the hell out of me. Right now, I too am close to confronting the dream that no human could ever beat, the Deplorable dream; Zanbӧngfar. It would be a lie to say that I do not fear for my own life but I fear for the lives of my family, friends and comrades even more. Most of all, I fear for Zan. I feel he is the most vulnerable amongst us all because amongst us, his fate is most closely tied to that of Zanfar's. Protect him and give me also the strength to defend him from Zanfar and help us get through this hellish night. If it makes you feel better, think of it as payback against the evil souls for running amok and ruining the months of your Holy Nativity" Ayumi prayed.
When she was done, a draft of cool air blew through the windows. She reacted to it instinctively by inhaling deeply. She was smiling now, as though life had returned to her eyes.
"I really feel much better now Zan, thank you" Ayumi said.
A moment later, they heard the bouncing of a ball. It was a very familiar sound to Zan so he turned around and beheld the boy Jesus as he walked into the chapel.
"The evil you are about to face is the summed total of all of humanity's wickedness. Believe in yourselves and failure shouldn't be an option. Believe in me and it will not even exist. Beware of its cunning. Beware of its forked tongue. Evil knows only lies and it will most definitely seek out the emptiness in your heart. It will attempt to confuse you and to deny everything I stand for. It will attempt to possess you but you must triumph. Zan Nightbane the Human Dreamweaver; Ayumi Kirisawa Of The Pyrogeysers; the two of you shall become the key to the instruments through which I shall subdue the Devil and trample him underfoot. I believe in you. Know that there shall be times it may seem I am not there. When those times come, recall my final everlasting promise; "I will be with you, even until the very end of age" Jesus said with a smile and as he said that, a bright light surrounded him; a warm light transformed him from a child into an adult.
Ayumi and Zan just stared at him in surprise.
"My task here is finished. As I promised my friend Wanye, I have guided you to become the man we all wish for you to be. And as I promised your mother Ayumi, she will live to see your future. The future she yearned for. A future in which your family was united with the family of the man you love. I have returned the joy you lost when she fell asleep. Now I can only watch you from a distance but I'll never leave your side. I believe in both of you. See you again, in a little while" Jesus said as he ascended into the heavens. The roof of the church itself was what hid him from them just as the clouds hid him from his disciples.
He kept waving till he became a part of the painting in the churches roof. Ayumi burst into tears.
"Thank you…mother" she said.
"Thanks a lot, Wanye" Zan said gratefully.
"Now, let's head home" Zan said to Ayumi.
At the Kirisawa residence, they were met by darkness and gloom. Ayumi parked the car in the garage and they got down and rushed to the door. Ayumi knocked a few times. No one was responding so she opened the door and they rushed in. The hall was dark. All other lights inside the house were off as well.
Zan didn't want to disturb Ayumi but the setting definitely reeked of an ambush. Ayumi found the switches by relying on memory and turned them on. The lights came on and to their utter chagrin, the room was in a mess. The walls had broken parts and pictures and pieces of broken glasses, tables and chairs were scattered everywhere.
"AI! DAD!" Ayumi called as they rushed to the hall.
What they saw scared them. Mr Kirisawa and Ai lay wounded on the floor, just barely conscious.
"DAD! WHAT HAPPENED?! Ayumi asked her father.
"Th-They've taken them. They've taken the elemental stones. Zan…" Mr Kirisawa struggled to speak.
"Who took them?!" Zan asked him.
"The Dream Knights. S-Something's wrong with them. It was almost like they were under some spell. They couldn't even recognize us. All they did was follow the Chancellor's orders. I fear the Chancellor might be the mastermind behind everything. He might have been desiring the release of Zanfar…all along" Mr Kirisawa said as he finally lost consciousness.
At that moment, they heard the blaring of horns.
"Who is that?" Zan wondered and rushed to the door.
There were two jeeps in the driveway.
Victoria descended from one and Face from the other.
"Zan! You've got to get outta here! The Dream Knights are after you!" Face warned Zan.
"It's good to see you two still on my side" Zan said happily.
"We'd never turn against you. But we don't have time to talk about this! We should get outta here. They've declared you traitors and have begun a hunt for you for the capture of the Elemental Stones Of Sealing" Face declared frantically.
"They attacked the Kirisawa family. They've already stolen the stones. I should have known better. They were only using me till they needed me no longer. And here I thought that kind of cliché only actually existed in fiction" Zan joked.
"Actually, it is a more prominent feature of reality" Victoria wasted no time in correcting him.
"This is beyond anything I believe the Dream King would do. The Chancellor has probably been acting independently so now, the real question is, 'where has the Dream King been all this time?' I've never heard that he was a selfish man. In fact, most of his mistakes were in being overzealous about protecting the world of dreams. What's worse is that he may very well be one of Zanfar's minions" Zan said angrily.
"So we've all been deceived. So what do we do now Zan? Victoria asked Zan.
Zan smirked.
"Isn't it obvious?! We'll stop the Chancellor from unsealing Zanfar. If by some chance we're unable to do this…THEN WE'LL KICK ZANFAR'S TAILS ACROSS THE GALAXY!" Zan declared.