"Ok, so our couch got destroyed." Dylan said. He caught up with Rebecca and Cole not so far from the temple.
"Wait, why our couch? Why not... Well, literally anything else?" Rebecca asked, all confused.
"I had to hide something... Important in there, but then the Choten was at our house looking around so I went to retrieve it." Dylan said.
"Really? What did you have to retrieve? Show me." Rebecca, holding out her hand.
"I, uhh..." Dylan said, and then thought for a moment. He wasn't sure if his sister knew what was inside the box, but he knew for a fact Cole didn't. "I dropped it in the water a little bit back. When I went to retrieve it, I couldn't find it, and that dopple guy was following me. He would have seen me searching the water."
"Who was on the tablet?" Rebecca asked.
"Oh, it was..." Dylan thought for a moment. "It was just 'Dragon Knight Volaron'." he finally said.
"Really?" Rebecca asked.
"Yeah. I did hit the dopple hard in the gut, launching him into the water, giving me more time to look. I found it." Dylan said, grabbing the first fire tablet in the bag. Stupid mistake.
"Uhh, THIS is-" Rebecca started, realizing why he lied while looking at Cole, who was right behind Dylan. "... The wrong tablet. You gave me 'Tatsurion the Unchained'." She gave him a wink while Cole was looking away.
"Oh, sorry." Dylan said, taking the tablet back and actually giving her the tablet for "Dragon Knight Volaron".
"This is a really strong creature. Be glad it didn't fall into the wrong hands." Rebecca said, handing me back the tablet. Although Dylan had the sense she wasn't talking about that specific tablet.
"Yeah, I'm aware. I'm careful with it." Dylan said.
"Says the guy who dropped it into the water." Rebecca said smirking.
"Ok, point taken." Dylan said, walking into the martial arts studio that was above the temple slightly annoyed. "Come on. I have a battle with Ray, although I feel like he'll be a little bit out of it, because of something that happened last night."
"Wasn't he sharing a bed with Al- oh." Rebecca said, only realizing what happened between them the last night just then.
"Yeah." Dylan said. "Nothing weird happened though, the security footage proved that."
"Is that the first room you checked?" Rebecca asked. "Because that's just wrong."
"How is that wrong?" Dylan asked as Master Kimora, who is quite chubby and wears green and brown robes, pushed a button on the mirror to move the glass out of the way.
"A girl was sleeping there. And changing there. You seriously don't find a problem with that?" Rebecca asked.
"Nah, I skipped past those parts. Well, I saw her in her-" Dylan was going to say right before Allie walked up.
"Uh, hey guys. Ray isn't with you, is he?" she asked.
"No. I thought you said nothing happened with them." Rebecca said.
"Wait, how would he know?" Allie asked.
"I sleep right next door. If anything weird happened with you two I would have heard, especially since I can hear pretty well." Dylan said.
"Wait really?" Allie said.
"I heard you two fighting with each other from across the block. If I hadn't intervened, that 'Scaradorable' as it's apparently called, would have destroyed my house fighting against... Well, just Rebecca in general." Dylan said.
"Wait, I just noticed something." Rebecca said. "You asked if Ray was with us. Didn't he come here with you?"
"Yeah, but he left a while ago with Gabe and Sasha. I would have gone, but..." Allie said, a little embarrassed.
"What happened?" Dylan asked. "Did you have sex in my mom's old bed?"
"What!? NO! Jeez, we just kissed." Allie said.
"Anything that you left out?" Rebecca asked."
"I wasn't fully clothed... Just my underwear." Allie said. After she said that, Dylan walked away, not wanting to talk about that.
"Yeah whatever you girls have fun with that I'm gonna look for Ray bye." he said without taking a breath as fast as he could. He stepped outside, climbed the studio, and another building that was taller and kept doing that until he was on top of the tallest building in San Campion. He saw Ray at a smoothie shop, walking out with Gabe and another girl who wasn't Allie or Lucy. He assumed she was Sasha. She was amazingly stunning, but it looked like she was with Gabe. She also looked familiar.
Huh. How did he get a girl like that? Dylan though, jumping from rooftop to rooftop to get over there.
"Oh, hey Dylan. This is Sasha." Gabe said, pointing at the girl standing with them.
"So I'm guessing that you two are... You know." Dylan said, pointing to Gabe and Sasha.
"Uhh... We haven't established that yet actually." Gabe said, looking kind of stressed by the question. "We haven't even kissed yet. We almost did, but something got in our way. Literally."
"Literally? Was it that toilet-shaped creature, or the golden female-looking ro...bot. Oh." Dylan said.
"Well, that took you a while." Gabe said.
"What? She hasn't said a word in front of me before." Dylan said.
"Ok. I will now. I am Sasha, Channeler of Light. And you must are Dylan, the one we saved in the Realm of Fire, yes?"
"Uh, yes. I am. It's nice to meet you Sasha." Dylan said, shaking her hand. I'm going to try to suppress laughter from seeing that "princess poop" video. he thought.
"Anyways, we were just going back to the temple. Wanna come?" Ray asked. "We still need to have our duel."
"Yeah, sure. Hey, speaking of which, your ARE gonna give it your all, right?" Dylan asked.
"Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I?" Ray asked.
"Well... Apparently something happened at my house involving you." Dylan said.
"How did you know about that? " Ray asked.
"I sleep right next door. Apparently she didn't have a problem with that."
"Really? She didn't?" Ray said, sounding interested.
"No. She had a problem without having pants or a shirt on which I'm an guessing you did not know." Dylan said, as he walked up to the Martial Arts studio's door and opened it. Everyone walked inside, Dylan holding the door open for them and walking in last.
"Can we talk about this later?" Ray asked.
"I don't think we have until 'later to talk about it'." Dylan said.
"Why not?" Ray asked, but he saw the answer the mirror opened.
"Hi Ray! Can we talk?" Allie asked the instant the mirror opened all the way.
"That's why." Dylan said as he walked past Allie down the stairs.
"So... Uh... Hi, Allie. What's up?" Ray said, all nervous. He'd be less if he had company, but Dylan went downstairs and Gabe and Sasha followed him.
"I wanted to talk about... Last night." Allie said.
"Uh, yeah. Sure." Ray said.
Back to Dylan
"Hey, Rebecca!" Dylan shouted to his sister.
"Hey Dylan! So I see you've found Gabe and Sasha... Where's Ray?" Rebecca asked. Sasha changed into her robot form.
"He's at the entrance of the temple talking with Allie." Dylan said.
"Oh, she took my advice and talked to him." Rebecca said.
"One question, where did talking to people about awkward situations ever get you over the years?" Dylan asked
"... Oh crap, good point." Rebecca said.
"Why did you tell her to then? Need I remember the only person you haven't 'talked about it' with was Cole... Speaking of which, where is he?" Dylan asked.
"Oh, he had to leave. Yeah, he said he had to work the afternoon shift." Rebecca said.
"Alright. Anyways, how long should we wait? " Dylan asked.
"Maybe in about... 3... 2... 1..." Rebecca counted down.
1 second after she said the last number, Allie walked into the library crying, and Ray came in behind her, saying "Allie, come on, you didn't let me finish!"
"Wait, what happened with you two?" Dylan asked.
"I don't want to talk about it in front of you guys." Ray said.
"Why not? Anything you can tell me you can tell them." Allie said, with her face covered in tears, and ran outside.
"Well?" Dylan said, looking at Ray. "You can catch up with her later. What happened? I can't imagine you saying anything soul-crushing to her."
"Alright, here's what happened:"
Back at the entrance of the temple, about 5 minutes ago
"Hi Ray! Can we talk?" Allie asked the instant the mirror opened all the way.
"That's why." Dylan said as he walked past Allie down the stairs.
"So... Uh... Hi, Allie. What's up?" Ray said, all nervous. He'd be less if he had company, but Dylan went downstairs and Gabe and Sasha followed him.
"I wanted to talk about... Last night." Allie said.
"Uh, yeah. Sure." Ray said.
"Ok. Did it mean anything to you?" Allie asked.
"That's the first question you asked?" Ray asked. "Who opens with that?"
"You didn't answer me" Allie said. "Did it mean anything?"
"Honestly?"
"Yes, honestly!"
"Ok, honestly, it meant a lot to me. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, you know, while still being under 16. Before it happened, I was like 'I wish I could have her, I wish I could have her'. But now, after it already happened, I was totally freaking out, and I had to get out of there as quick as I possibly could."
"Hang on, I woke up after you in the morning. What happened? I know something did, because when I woke up, I was wearing-" Allie started saying
"Your underwear. Yeah, Dylan told me already." Ray interrupted her.
"Oh. He told you." Allie said. "Huh. Anyways, what does this mean to you? Are we dating, are we still 'just friends'? What are we?" Allie asked.
"Still honestly?" Ray asked.
"YES!" Allie said.
"Ok. Honestly, I don't think we should go out just yet. I still need time to... process what's happened between us." Ray said.
"Oh. Well, ok then. Is there another reason? Because from your voice makes it sound like you're hiding something from me. What is it?" Allie asked.
"Really, you want the truth? You want the absolute truth? Fine. Here's the truth. You are a person who just has to have everything she wants, and-" Ray started saying.
"That's how you think of me? As a person who HAS to have everything she wants? As a stuck up little selfish brat?" Allie said.
"No, you didn't let me fin-" Ray started saying.
"No no no, at least I can give up on this. At least I know how you feel now." Allie said.
"Allie, let me finish." Ray said.
"Just leave me alone!" Allie shouted in tears and ran off.
Back to the present
"Well where does she go when she's upset this much?" Dylan asked.
"THAT'S your question? Not 'why did you say that to her'? Or 'What is wrong with you'?" Rebecca asked.
"Why would I? It's Allie's fault. She didn't let Ray finish. Wait, what were you going to say?" Dylan asked.
"I was going to say that she wanted more than I could give." Ray said.
"That... That makes what you said... Better, I guess." Rebecca said.
"Well, tell her that in person. From past experience, she'll be in the Darkness Civilization." Gabe said.
"Wait, so first I went to hell, and now I'm going to a different version of it?" Dylan asked.
"Well, sort of. Actually, they're totally different things." Gabe said.
"From what I've learned actually, the rumor of hell was STARTED by the darkness civilization. Fine. Ray, you're going. Rebecca, you go with him." Dylan said.
"What? Why me?" Rebecca asked.
"Because this entire thing is technically your fault, need I remind you. You're the one that convinced her to talk." Dylan said. Rebecca couldn't argue against that.
"Fine. I'll go with him. But once he finds Allie I'm leaving. Besides, didn't you say your dopple was heading here?" Rebecca asked.
"CRAP I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" Dylan shouted. He rushed outside of the temple, then out of the studio, and it was true, the dopple was right outside.
"Yes Lord Choten, I am outside of the dojo. Yes, I am about to begin the invasion. At least, I would if your men would show up. What!? You want me to do this by myself? Well, I should have enough mana to, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Alright, but send men just in case. Thank you." the dopple said on the phone, then turned towards Dylan and shouted "You can come out!"
"Jeez, what is going on? What were you talking about with The Choten? " Dylan asked.
"Since I'm gonna eliminate you anyways, I might as well tell you. Invading the temple." the dopple said.
"Alright then, 'dopple'." Dylan said. "I guess I'm gonna have to stop you. Again."
"Hah. 'dopple'. I guess you never HAVE learned my name. It's Seto. Named by your 'friend'." dop- er, Seto said.
"Well, why attack the temple when I'm your target? I haven't made any close friends in there. I still would have been mad if you killed one of them, but not as mad as if-" Dylan started saying.
"If I killed your friend, what was her name? Jack said it once. Oh yes. Lunaria. Maybe I'll go there after I'm done here. Or, maybe the 'men' I mentioned on the phone are headed there now. But, I guess you have to see it yourself in order to know for sure. Now, you have a choice. Stay here and protect these people, or go home and protect the possibility that Luna might be attacked." Seto said. As he was talking, Dylan was sending a text to Lunaria. It read:
Get out of there.
Possible attack.
Not mad at you.
Dylan.
It's not like she'd believe him but it's worth a shot. And Cole lives near Luna's house. Dylan texted him:
Not mad at you.
Protect Lunaria.
Failure means death BTW.
Dylan.
Cole would believe Dylan a lot more than Lunaria would. Dylan activated his gauntlet. Luckily, no one was around. He tackled Seto into the water, causing Seto to use most of his mana to summon one of the most powerful creatures in the creature realm.
"KING TRITONUS!" Seto shouted, and he had a giant squid creature with one eye following his every command.
Dylan called Gabe, because he was he was the water creature expert.
"Hello?" Gabe said.
"Hey. Who's King Tritonus?" Dylan asked.
"He's the water civilization's monarch. He's pretty much a god." Gabe said.
"And how do I beat a god?" Dylan asked.
"Why are you asking?" Gabe asked.
"Just come outside, and you'll see" Dylan said, and then he hung up.
"Now we're even." Seto said.
"Even?" Dylan said.
"Yeah. You didn't attack during my call, I didn't attack you during yours." Seto said.
"Shut up. Are we gonna duel or what?" Dylan asked.
"With what?" Gabe asked as he ran outside. "And how does someome summon a monarch?"
"Just... What can fight against this thing?" Dylan said as he got a flashback.
"My own protection? What would I need protection from?" Dylan asked. He just forgot about it and grabbed the last tablet. Inscribed on the tablet was the name...
"INFERNUS THE IMMOLATOR!"
Out of the large portal that formed came an even larger red dragon.
"Where did you learn about that creature!?" Seto asked.
"Weren't the monarchs in the Null Zone?" Gabe asked.
"I dunno, but you said those incidents were about a year ago. And, since fire is a natural enemy with water-" Dylan said...
"You do not need to control me. Although I could use some help with direction, like something to guide me." Infernus said.
"Alright, let's duel!" Dylan said. Seto looked less confident than when he first showed up.
"Alright, fine. Let's go. After all, I do have more skill than you in close-quarters combat." Seto said.
Dylan thrust his gauntlet forward, and Infernus flew forward at an alarmingly fast speed.
