Chapter Eleven: Dreams or nightmares?

As the last evening star lit up upon the blanket of the night, the travelers enjoyed the special dinner. The innkeeper and the children joined in as well, utterly delightful of the meal. Ms. Cartha and Rachael soon traded recipes.

When the last honeyed chop chewed (which Aurora and Mint had fought over until Fiona took the winning prize) and the last piece of apple pie eaten, a couple of yawns muffled above.

Late it seemed, and the elves were taken to their room that now was cleaned after the explosion. Everyone took into their rooms, ready to crash in and sleep through the hours of slumbering darkness.

Aurora walked down the hallway of doors, Cosmomi and Black flying after her and Green hopping quietly as possible on the floor. To one unopened door, she stopped and peered in.

There she watched her little sister rest soundly on the bed, after a long day. In the dimness, Flare slept by over the blanket that only covered Rachael by half. Her flames have shimmered down, casting shadows around like a nightlight.

With a smile that only one would do, Aurora crept in quietly while the creatures waited outside. Silently as a Stinger, she pulled the blanket over the sleeping girl like her own mother would have done for her. Aurora took one last look at the two sleeping well before leaving the quiet room.

Darkness.

Blacker than the night of twilight.

Hollow and eternally.

It symbolizes many reasons. Where souls search endlessly for their own purposes. Where the spirits come forth, either good or bad and where the trinity Guardians of Death, Life and Reincarnation roam freely. Many take the darkness as a place where evil is born but that is a misunderstanding. Darkness is only the cloak of illusions in both reality and fantasy. Darkness is the eye of the beholder.

The silver-haired boy walked on, straying along an invisible path. He knew it was there but where did it lead to?

A cold wind blew across. He felt it. Yet walked on. Alone.

"Rue..."

He stopped in his tracks. His heart skipped a beat in the silence. He quickly wheeled to the direction of the familiar voice he longed to hear.

Standing far was a woman, possibly in her mid-twenties. Her gentle long fringe stretched past her welcoming chestnut eyes and her silky brown hair was tied, giving no mess. She wore the blue-violet dress over her clothing that he has seen her wear until the last day. His silver eyes widened.

"Rue..."

"Claire!"

"What's wrong, Rue?" the woman asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ghost... But I saw you..."

He didn't want to say. His soul ached. He couldn't contain his emotions. He took a dash but it seemed that he wasn't getting closely to her. She wasn't moving her legs but she drifted away like a ghost leaving.

It looked infinite to his opinion. He tripped, not sure what it was he tripped over on the hidden path. The woman went on drifting away, only her smile wasn't leaving.

"Hey. Why are you running?" she asked. "I'm not going anywhere."

But she was going someway. For at that moment, a man in a suit of black armor appeared. His arm was monstrous as if someone had mutated it.

The silver-haired boy remembered that arm, that man. The man who killed her three years ago.

"Claire! Run!"

A flash passed his eyes. The snowy forest was his background as the man raised his hand of death at the woman, who now was carrying a hoe as a weapon.

"WAIT!!! NOOO!!!"

He couldn't do anything but watched the hand fall and the woman give one last look. The last smile of concern he would ever see again.

Bolting out of his bed, Rue snapped after from his nightmare with sweat. He gasped heavily, trying to calm his heart. He was only dreaming. Only.

But even dreams can be the replay of one's life.

"What a terrible dream," he puffed, holding his head. He looked out of the window, to the heavens of darkness. "Claire... Please come back..."

In a banquet hall of Chinese red, the decorations of golden eastern lines engraved over the walls. Arranged over the table was a feast fit for a king. The aroma reached out, filling the room of spring rolls, a roast duck, dumplings, a bowl of creamy soup, pumpkin and many more.

Beside the table, not touching the delicious food was the red-haired girl. Her glance was away from the table but to the throne. Sitting on the royal chair was a girl, alike like her for her red hair and fiery eyes but the difference was the shortness of her hair and her elegant and manners. On her lap was a book, crafted of strong magic and grace.

Compared to her, the girl wore a different style of royal clothes, which gave a skylight blue. Over her head like a crown, she wore a hat-like ornament where a gold piece hung on one end. Only younger than her, but the girl was more matured.

Accompanied with her were a man and an old advisor of the king. The old man, wrinkled with wisdom wore priestly clothes that resembled both royalty and loyalty.

The young man's hair possessed cold white and his eyes were the black shallows of amber. His face hid behind a mask patterned in black and red, like a secret. His clothing of the shadows and blood was cloaked with a cape that hung lengthy, hiding an identity that complimented his spirit.

She watched her sister, questions piling on her. She was confused. And why, she asked herself.

"My dear sister. Hand me that plate over there, will you?"

"..." She fell silent, ignoring the order. This was a change to her. A change of this younger girl. Instead of someone who follows proudly of being in royal blood, it was a person that would lead the people down to misery.

"Oh, and I have a message for the chef. Tell him to bring five plates of Bavarian pastries and five dishes of pudding." The younger girl stopped to think of more wicked ideas, more excuses while she stayed quiet.

"After dinner, please remind me to have you clean the toilets in the castle. Wait, I think I should have you remove the weeds in the pumpkin fields instead. Or should I have you massage my back?"

"Why not have her do everything?" the man inquired.

"Of course! Where is my head...? Ok, my dear sister, you heard me."

"..." Still she was silent.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Finally she spoke. "Maya... Do you enjoy treating me like this?"

"Treating you like what? I'm merely assigning you your responsibilities."

To the younger girl, it sounded right but to her, it sounded like mockery. "Responsibilities!? I'm a princess! Your older sister!"

"That's not true," the younger girl opposed. "You're not a princess. You're an ex-princess!"

"Ex...!" She jumped in shock and demand. Her jaw was unhinged and her ears disbelieved the word. "What do you mean, 'ex'!?"

"Well, aren't you? You no longer have right to the throne. You're not a princess. You're just another commoner now. HUAHH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" the younger girl lifted back her hand, giving a laugh like a selfish person.

"Please understand, ex-Princess," the old advisor explained.

"Gramps!? You too!?" she screamed, seeing he has joined the younger girl's side.

"You should accept the truth, ex-Princess!" the cold-blooded man purred.

Her knees gave way like jelly. She fell to the floor, clutching her ears against the cruel words despite they still grasped tight. Tears fell, wetting the red carpet.

"...Why are you so mean to me!?" she asked desperately. "What did I ever do to deserve this!?"

"My goodness, I've had enough out of you," the younger girl uttered, caring less of her cries. "Get back to work immediately! Come on now, you're wasting time! If you even think about shirking, I'll punish you, like this."

The younger girl held the book up as it began to sparkle with burning magic. A spell was cast and something fell upon the red-haired girl, forcing her to the floor. She got up in pain and stopped as fear clinched on. Merrily about, a small demon of her worst nightmare had come true. It was only a harmless Pumpkin yet the jagged teeth, stubby arms and its craved-out eyes gave it another meaning of a Jack-o-Lantern.

"P-Pumpkins!?"

She couldn't hold it. She darted away, the Pumpkin giving chase. She bolted out of the doors, both crying and terrified. She wished for her mother to be here but she knew she was alone. No one was there to save her before and now there was no one again.

"HUAHH-HA-HA-HA-HA! Run along, ex-Princess!" the younger girl laughed as more Pumpkins fell from nowhere and tumbled after the red-haired girl. She ran, wishing this was all just a dream.

"Gaah!!!" Mint screamed, jumping out of her bed. Sweat damped her wrinkled clothes as she panted in fear. She buried her head in her blanket, trying her best to calm down.

"Huff-Huff-Heave-Heave... What a nightmare," she coughed.

From fear igniting to anger, she stood up on her bed and gave the mattress a stomp, almost breaking the springs. "DANG IT!!!"

The glassed-stained butterflies fluttered over a meadow of orange flowers, bloomed in the time of midsummer. The Crystal Butterflies they were, playfully flying around, sunlight streaming down their wings of spectrum. Not far the melody of the ocean reached near. In the valley of orange Feriosa flowers, the tune of the wind mixed with the melody and into a song of nature.

A place near home, she couldn't resist the memory coming back. The cerulean-haired girl stood, not wanting to break the music spell as her heart wandered on in search of her forgotten childhood. Even though of its resolve, her heart could not find it.

As she arose her view, her eyes shot wide because far from a distance was a reflection of herself.

But it wasn't a reflection for the clothes her reflection wore were a chemise over her sewn-made wintry kimono, both colored of bottle green and heavenly white. Her sleeves covered over her gloves and up to her knees were belts buckled around her shoes. Overlapping her shoulder was a blade in the shape of a bow, in the form of a crescent. Like a transformable item, it could change into many weapons, each symbolizing an element of nature.

Her reflection had the same cerulean hair but tied loosely with a familiar ribbon and her eyes freckled the gentle cerulean shade.

She drew back, her feelings falling apart. It wasn't a reflection but the familiar face of someone she cared most for her life. Her own twin sister.

"No! It can't be! Is it... Is it really you?"

Her twin didn't reply but only smiled.

"Angela...?" she cried, taking a step.

In a flash, shadows fell like the slam of a door. The colors of the meadow changed and the Crystal Butterflies disappeared. Her breath was caught inside. Someone was behind her twin.

Someone with a black rapier.

The familiar deep blue-violet hair and the cobalt eyes gave a shadow of calm coldness. The stranger was clothed with armor and clothing that almost like the darkness. The stranger's weapon was thin but strong and crafted on the handle was a black jewel.

She sensed something in the jewel. Evil, malice, vice. A jewel that reflected the opposite of goodness. A chill crept down her spine. She knew what it was. She was warned about its existence.

Undying Darkness its true name was, an opposite of the Eternal Light but as a nickname for over nine hundred years, it was known as Dark Ember. The rival of the jewel, Eternal Light.

"Angela!" she yelled and tried to run to save her.

"Say goodbye, Dragon Guardian!" the stranger shouted, aiming her rapier at her reflection's back. This was a flashback of the cerulean-haired girl's worst nightmare.

"Angela! Look out!"

But it was too late. The thin blade ran through her chest and blood dropped everywhere. The stranger slipped out her rapier and watched the dying reflection fall. Her twin lay there, motionlessly.

From her wound glittered something like an orb. For in her chest, a crystal clear orb rested under her ribs, beating a heartbeat.

It was cracking to pieces.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

Aurora groaned, easing the bump on her head. As tears nearly bluffed her eyes, she looked around. Reality checked in.

She had fallen off of bed.

She was in her room, in the inn. In Carona.

Not in the valley of the meadow. Not near her town, Hikoria.

"...It was just a dream... No, a nightmare." Her gaze turned to the floor, her eyes lowering with sorrow. She looked back at the black sky where the moon settled upon. "Angela..."

As she got up, she looked to see her creature companions sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by her sudden fall. She took to the window and jumped out onto the roof below and to the paved ground. She gazed back at her window and then to the church.

She couldn't sleep now. She needed time alone. She needed someplace to be alone.

Walking to the church, she was being watched by none other than Cosmomi. He was awake when Aurora fell. He knew she was having another dream. He soon recalled a broken memory of dreams without even noticing he was recalling it.

"Dreams are such a mystery."

"They sure are, Kosmos. They play with people's minds, replay their past and distort their peace."

"Uh, I meant another meaning."

"Oh? What'd you mean then?"

"Dreams are tasks. Tasks to test their strength and will. If they were unwise and believed that their dreams tell them that there is nothing, then they would lose hope. But if they understood what dreams were, they would not give up. Do you understand, Cyan?"

"Okay, I don't get you there. What's so great about dreams?"

"You also dream, don't you?"

"Gods don't – Oh..."

"That is why it is something hard to understand. Even we gods have still more to understand."

Cosmomi shook his head. Rarely he has been collecting his memory one by one. But he wasn't sure what they meant for they were still broken as a puzzle.

"Whoa... What was that all about? And who the heck is Kosmos?"he wondered.

Now wasn't the time to think. It would always give him a headache. He quickly looked back and saw Aurora disappeared behind the church's doors. With one last look, he waited for a moment, knowing it was best to leave her alone for a while. Just for a while.

Rue couldn't sleep. He needed something to get his mind off of things. Creeping out of the inn not to disturb Ms. Cartha and the gang, he went to the church. He climbed on the stairs to the doors of the church. Enchanted with holiness, it was the house of the Goddess of Cytherea.

The goddess who created the gods and the blue planet. The goddess who has no beginning and no end. The goddess that was the watcher of Cytherea.

Slowly, he pushed the doors open a little and crept in quietly. From the marble floor to the roof of beams, he gazed around until finally to the statue that stood, looking upon all who visit her.

The statue was a figure of a woman, what the Goddess of Cytherea would look like. But her face was a blank. Her hands clenched in a prayer and dressed over her pearl-white skin were clothes of pallid.

Rue examined the statue. It had been a long time since he came to a church. Years ago, he was brought to a church in Dermai and was taught of the greatness of the goddess and her grace and mercy over all. That was before that person who brought him to the church left this world.

A muffle of a prayer caught his ears as he turned his gaze down. There, kneeing before the white-stoned goddess was Aurora. She was praying to the Goddess of Cytherea.

He never expected to see her in places such as a church. He watched her pray and soon she was visited by the church clergyman. She stood up when she sighted the church clergyman coming in.

"Hello, father," she greeted with a bow.

"Please, call me Father Doyle," he asked. "And what are you doing at this hour? It's nightfall."

"...Just couldn't sleep," she mumbled, gazing back to the statue.

"...Are you perhaps the Dragon Guardian?" Father Doyle asked.

"Um...yeah," she replied, feeling there was no need to keep a secret from a clergyman.

"Well, as I heard that a Dragon Guardian would not pray to any other gods but only to the Dragons. But I see you're praying to the Goddess of Cytherea," the church clergyman told her. "I hope I didn't offend you."

"No. It's okay. And no, it isn't just the Dragons the Dragon Guardian bids to. Unless she knows the history of the Gods, then she knows who to pray to."

"What do you mean?"

"...It's something that only few would do. And to tell you the truth, the reason why I'm here is...is because my twin sister used to be in a choir back home. A Holy Song."

"A singer of the Goddess of Cytherea?" Father Doyle gasped.

"Yeah. I never go to churches before but now I always come every time I see one. Because I feel like my sister would get angry with me if I didn't... Father Doyle?"

"Yes, my child?"

She gave one glance before uttering the words. "...I have sinned."

"Sin? What do you mean, child? A Dragon Guardian cannot sin. You're the protector of Cytherea."

"That's what I mean. I couldn't protect... My sister... She's...she's not around anymore." The church clergyman hung his head, knowing what she meant. "Do...do you think she'll forgive me? For not saving her in time?"

"...I'm sure she would, my child. I'm sure she would."

Rue watched carefully, hearing every word they said. Until the doors opened, he jumped away, hiding.

'Why am I doing?' he scolded himself. He was hiding from Aurora. But he didn't want to make her feel bad if he knew what they were saying.

"Hey, Aurora." He looked to the doors as the platinum flying cat flew in, joining with her. "I knew you'd be here. Come on. We should get some sleep."

"Sorry, Cosmomi." But before Aurora turned away, she reached into her bag. "Oh, Father Doyle, do you take donations?"

Father Doyle gave a nod and he was handed with a bag of gold coins.

"Here. I hope this is okay," the Dragon Guardian intoned.

"Why, this is more than enough. Thank you for this kind donation. This will be helpful for the poor and the church. I'd better put this away in a safe place." Father Doyle gave a polite bow to the Dragon Guardian and took the bag to the back room where the donations were kept for the church.

"Well, that's a generous thing to do," Cosmomi uttered. "Angela would be happy to see this."

A shiver made him look.

Aurora had hung her head low and now was quivering with uncontrollable emotions. She fell to her knees, gripping her head as she cried out her tears. The flying cat, who nearly tumbled when she fell, quickly landed on his four paws, his wings giving help.

A pill of guilt broke inside of him. He didn't know what he did to upset her or what made her feel this way but he knew what to do. With only one solution on his mind, he cast a wing over Aurora's shoulder.

Tears fell on. She couldn't stop crying. The pain spearing in her heart was unbearable. Unbearable to even feel her own conscious try to fight it.

Far near to the doors, Rue stood there, watching her cry. Only he knew everything with listening ears. But for the reason why she was crying, he could only guess.

Not to his notice, Mint was standing outside the church doors. She had eavesdropped to every detail and for the first time, she felt repentant for her own rival. Losing a member of the family is too much to bear. She knew that. That was when she asked herself how would she react if she lost another.

Glancing to the statue, Rue looked at the blank face that deeply gave a gentle groove, a face of love that told all that she understood all problems. He held his hands in a prayer, a prayer he kept to his heart and took one last look around the church.

Slowly, he crept away through the opened doors. Mint was alarmed when she saw him come. Quickly, she threw herself over the railing and held on for dear life. She waited for the silver-haired boy to leave but he paused and looked back.

'Come on! I can't hold on for much longer!' she screamed in her mind.

He glanced as the Dragon Guardian cried on, knowing best to leave her with Cosmomi. Only the flying cat knew how to comfort her. Rue left the church, thoughts deep in his mind while Mint lost her grip and fell on the cold pavement. No one hear her grunts so she managed to slip away back to her cabin after a few minutes of recovery without disturbing anyone.

Rue's thoughts stayed before he would fall back to his sleep in his cabin. Rue could only pray to the goddess to give Aurora no more sorrow. That was all he could do.

Midnight hung silently. The last inhabitant of the quiet town went into bed. The fountain flushed on its gushing waters. The streets were empty. The alleys bored with darkness.

The night shone its sparkling glows as the Spiritual Guardian of all the moons, Halo the Moon Bat, watched over from the crescent blade of the closest moon, Lunica. The spirits gathered and muffled about playfully while the nymphs of Lake Ruins laughed over the water surface.

Time ticked on. Now was the hour of the ethereal creatures to come forth. Away from the physical panel but now entering, a small creature of blue-light scales sat on the rooftop of the hotel, glancing through the windows where the three travelers were sleeping beyond.

It was as streamlined as a fish but as lively as a bird. The creature had the tail of a mermaid and flippers of a Dalphin. Fins lined across her smooth scaly skin and as well for her ears. Embedded on her back were transparent crystal wings of a dragonfly. On her tail was a symbol, inscribed as 'Water'.

Ding!

Pierced on her ear was a bell, a chain attached to it. Her eyes never took their gaze away, the moonlight shimmering blue over them. Gentle and tender like a mother and pure as the waters, she was one of purity and clearness that even her name was as clear as crystal.

"Had a feeling you were watching them... Undine."

Undine looked over her shoulder, to meet face to face to Flames. He appeared from nowhere but the ashes of Rod's fireplace. She smiled.

"Hello to you too, Flames," she greeted.

"Do you always like to stare at them when they sleep?" he asked, his forearms folded.

"Can't I? They looked so cute when they were children," Undine hummed, closing her flippers together like a plea.

A sweat tinkled down the red dragon's face. "...And you think they're still cute now?"

"So what's the big deal of just watching them?" a third uttered.

Flames peered over the blue creature to the lower section of the rooftop. Sitting there was another small dragon of brown fur. His belly was plated with scales and his long tail was that of a lion. Over his horns and ears were painting and on his tail showed a symbol of Ancient tongue, meaning 'Gateway'.

Wrapped around his neck was a scarf in western craft. Enchanted with a spell, it would give one who wears it the wings of flight. For the wingless dragon, he was the rightful one to wear it. Now he had commanded his wings to fold and vanish until his next flight. Around his forearms were armbands made of dyed-deep-blue fur and buckled around one of his talon was a belt with a button.

The fire dragon and the small dragon gave each other a long silent stare.

"What's pipsqueak doing here?" Flames asked harshly.

"Who you're calling pipsqueak!?" the dragon demanded.

"Whatever, Rathandros."

"He wanted to join me, of course," Undine explained.

"I know you take him as a little brother" Flames hesitated. "But there's a big difference between you two. He's just the Sentinel Dragon of the Spiritual Guardians. You're the Water Dragoness of the Elemental Dragons."

"You're no different, being the Fire Dragon of the Elemental Dragons," Undine chuckled.

"Hey!"

Flames turned, his nose touching the small dragon's nose as Rathandros glared deeply at him.

"I may be the youngest around here but that doesn't mean you have to treat me like a kid god!" Rathandros shouted.

"Well, you're still a kid god...by a million years!" Flames shouted.

"At least I don't have gray hair in my fur!"

"At least I don't act like a kid!"

"Grrrrr!!!" they hissed in unison, a spark of rage building up.

"It's nice to see Aurora has friends now."

Their utter anger stopped when Undine spoke, gazing at Aurora as she slept with Cosmomi by her side.

"We have so many memories. Both bad and good. And yet we still cherish them. Including Cytherea herself. Still many have forgotten the truth of the Ancient Past. People worship an idol called the Goddess of Cytherea despite she has long left this realm a time ago, leaving us to watch over them," she exclaimed. "Cyletria, in other words, 'the Ethereal One'is the one mortals call the Goddess of all, of Cytherea."

She heaved a sigh before continuing. "If she were here, she would be disappointed about the Great War...but not as disappointed to see a protector of the first and second generation come to protect when we, the Elemental Dragons are not around to sustain the balance."

The silence fell. Soon, Rathandros crawled towards his foster sister and sat beside her. "Undine, can you tell me about the Dragon War Era?"

"Oh yeaaah. You were only a baby then," Flames sneered.

"I WAS ONLY OVER 50 MILLON YEARS OLD THEN!!!"

A flipper flew pass his eyes as Undine drew him closer. "Okay, I'll tell you. It's a long story but I'll make it simple."

"I don't mind," Rathandros replied.

"Alright. I'll start at the beginning."

Flames took a seat on the rooftop, interested to hear a story calling from the Water Dragoness. She gazed up, beyond the night sky and to the battlefield where the gods once fought.

"There was a time when mortals believed that evil came from a source. But no one knew that evil only comes from their hearts. All that is needed to trigger that evil is from another, cold-hearted. Before the Great War began, a being suddenly came to our realm, breaking through the doors of our gateway. You were still young then so you had no control over the gateways well enough. But it was not your fault as well.

This being was a creature, drenched of energy that overwhelmed like waste. He was similar as a Dragon and thus had the same powers as ours, the Elemental Dragons so we came to see why it was here. We thought of him as perhaps a brother.

However, his heart was plagued with evil. The being scorned, loathing the mortals that were living on Cytherea. He believed the mortals were an epidemic ridden the life away from the planet. He believed that we were simply ignoring the planet's cry. That we were not protecting the blue planet but letting it rot under the technology the races made. He wanted to destroy the mortals to save the planet.

But the blue planet herself cried for a reason. We heard her cry. It was not because of the mortals hurting her of their technology and pollution but truly because he was going to get rid of the races. It was he who was ignoring the planet's reality. He was going to obliterate the mortals that lived for 56,000,000 years on the timeline of evolution.

He was a threat. We had to stop him, the Consumer of Time and Fate.

Only we, the Dragons could fight him, let alone the other gods. The Spiritual Guardians and the demi-Guardians were needed to sustain the balance. But instead, we left the purpose of caring Cytherea, the positions of the balance, in order to fight against the Consumer of Time and Fate.

Droughts and rainstorms fell. Forests burnt away and the earth crumpled. Darkness and light were swirling uncontrollable. Soon, races judged their appearances. Greed and cruelty spread. People's hearts were darkened with malevolence. They began to pick their swords up and fight each other. Weapon against weapon. Brother against brother.

A war began on each continent. But the worst of all wars was on Aédura. Four kingdoms stood in battle against each other while the central kingdom fell. It lasted for ten years and many perished. The dragonoids of the central kingdom were hunted down for their crystal orbs.

All the gods realized the truth. Without the guidance of the Dragons, chaos would begin. We were the ones ignoring Cytherea's cries, the mortals' prayers.

We were becoming like the Consumer...

Now was the choice. If the Dragons were to leave the battlefield to save the planet from their own ignorance, the Consumer of Time and Fate would wipe away the mortals. But if the Dragons were to continue their battle, Cytherea would die.

We could not bear to see the blue planet die, nor let the being annihilate the mortals. For this realm and everything within it, was created by Cyletria. The Consumer was winning.

However, the Chromatic Creatureas entered through the physical panel of Cytherea in physical forms to stop the mayhem while the Dragons battled against the Consumer. Yet hope seemed lost.

Until one day, a girl by the name of Andrea found the ruins of where the Dragonblade was kept and taking it out of its chains, she was renowned as the wielder of the blade and the protector of Cytherea.

No one knew why she was chosen. Even the gods didn't know why. But we knew she was the protector.

However, it was a destiny and also a curse.

At the time of the blade's release, jewels consumed of hatred was born in the empire of chosen outcastes and desperados, all led by the one who was given the jewels. These jewels were called Dark Embers. The outcastes were each given a jewel containing a different power. And one of those jewels was given to a girl in Andrea's town because she was jealous when Andrea was the chosen one of the Dragonblade. Thus the girl left to join the empire known as the Empire of Vor.

The Dragonblade was indeed a blade of life and death, created by an Aeon for the good of this world. Only the Aeon was able to wield the sword so no one after the Aeon's time was able to hold the blade...until it chose Andrea.

...But she paid a heavy price. Her town was soon burnt to the ground in the war. She was the only one alive among her family and friends.

With nothing left, she set off with the Dragonblade for a purpose. To find the relic and revive the people she lost. Along her journey, the Dragons met her, telling her we were to help her. We gave her keychains of our powers, the Elements. Thus, we gave her the title, the Dragon Guardian.

Believing what her destiny is, she continued on her journey. Along the way, she met the Princess of East Heaven Kingdom, Princess Minako, who was separated from her father in a battle. Believing her father was dead, she set off after the same goal, the relic. And soon, they crossed paths to Ruengrit, who had awakened from his sleep as a doll of an Aeon. He was to kill Andrea for her orb but the ruins that he slumbered fell to pieces along with his memories. He joined them to find the relic and gain back his memory.

Their journeys went on, meeting friends and many experiences, gaining everyone's trust. Therefore, this group was called the Twilight Trinity. With success, the Twilight Trinity restored the balance and brought peace to the war and unity to the four remaining kingdoms. But that was only the battle. The last war had yet to be finished.

Once Cytherea was no longer in pain, the Spiritual Guardians, the Chromatic Creatureas and the Twilight Trinity joined the Elemental Dragons against the Consumer of Time and Fate into battle.

Finally, we won.

In defeat, the Consumer fled to escape but he could not escape from us. Andrea took the blade and with the help of your powers, Rathandros and her friends, she was able to seal the being away from this dimension. That was the last we ever saw him. That was the end of the war."

Undine took a breath, giving herself rest while Rathandros gazed at her with violet eyes.

"So how do you like the story?" Undine asked.

"It's good. But I have just one question," Rathandros asked. "How did I help Andrea when I was just a kid? I don't even remember helping her."

"You couldn't even remember how you were born," Flames huffed.

"Hey, I was-!"

"We all couldn't remember or predict what was before us or how we were born. We know we were created by Cyletria. But we can only remember what we had experience after that," he explained. "And Andrea... You helped her, alright. Subconsciously, no doubt. But then again, if you never existed, we would be in a knot."

Again, silence fell as Rathandros gazed at Flames, not meeting his glance. Finally, he spoke.

"Undine? Flames? Do you think I'll get a chance to help Aurora too?"

Startled, Flames became but when he looked to the Water Dragoness, he was received a nod, a smile. He grinned too.

"I'm sure you will soon," Undine replied motherly.

"It's just a matter of time, pipsqueak," Flames droned. This time, Rathandros didn't take this as an insult but continue to stare at Flames like a brother instead.

The breezes picked up their speed and howled under the night. Flames' burning fires breathed on as he uttered with his smile. "Just you wait and see..."

Vickie: Yeah, yeah. I know. The gods here have very old ages. But believe me. It took me three days and two hours to think of their age, the timeline and the whole history. Rathandros happens to be the youngest of the gods so that's why everyone up there treats him like a kid except for Undine. But he's pretty powerful because he controls all gateways to all dimensions. That includes doors, zippers, buttons, anything that can be open. Also bodies (Note: Bodies act as vessels of our souls and the senses are the keyholes to the door. If one body were to be opened and left 'spirit-less', many other wandering souls would want to steal it). With this kind of power, he can easily switch souls if any mortal mocks him.

And thank you, Dark Knight Gafgar for reviewing just before I could get a chance to update. I thought nobody was gonna review. Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Now excuse me while I get rid of my big-mouthed chibi.

-Vickie drags Chibi Victoria away to feed her to hungry Mandolas-