The exit was thinning fast. Ecco and friends charged as fast as they could, and at the last second the five-some were thrown out of the gate, dizzy and exhausted.
"I thought we would never make it out of there" said Coral swimming towards the surface gasping and inhaling the air.
"Yeah. I haven't swam that fast since I was learning about stealth from my father." the tired orca said, sucking the life out of a plant that was giving off air bubbles.
"At least I don't need air since I have gills" Hammer said feeling proud about himself.
"Uh-huh. Well at least the some of us can see straight." Shard said making fun of the way the eyes of the hammerhead are.
"What do you mean 'can see straight'? I can see just find." Hammer replied, but he humiliates himself by bumping into a rock pillar. Aqua finished sucking his air out of the now-dead plant, and swam further out of the bay.
"I'm going to scout around and see what's up. I'll sing to you if I find something" he said and swam off ahead of the group. The foursome swam around and looked at the wonders of Atlantis. First, they swam over to the tiny cave where Ecco found a crystal from his last adventure. Coral noticed that the inside of the cave was covered with a drawing of Ecco and the Guardian. The picture showed Ecco with a large simile, and the Guardian with a massive bright glow. Suddenly a familiar voice appeared.
"You like it Ecco. This is the place where I could draw all my pictures of you, and whales, and everyone!" said the dolphin, who was female.
"You did a nice job Shauza. When and how did you learn to draw?" asked Ecco.
"I found some strange colorful stick things about a mile from here. They last a long time! There was also a dolphin picture in some rubbery thing, so I used that to draw. Cool isn't it?" said the green dolphin, who quickly swam inside, and then quickly swam back out with red on her fins. "I found this dye in a ship not to far off from where I found the sticks." She continued. "now I could…"
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of an orca. It sounded like trouble near.
"That must be Aqua! He must have saw something!" Hammer exclaimed, and the foursome, including Shauza swam to the sound of the screeching whale.
The made it shortly to the killer whale with a terrified look on his face. His mouth was dropped a little.
"Aqua what's wrong? What did you see?" asked Ecco frantically. Aqua pointed one of his fins out and replied,
"The-The Guardian." He whispered. Everyone looked up and saw the massive crystal blinking rapidly.
"My eyes! They're hurting!" screamed Shauza, covering her eyes with her fins. Hammer and Ecco looked at Shard who knew most about the crystal and gave him worried looks.
"I don't know what's wrong with the old timer okay!" he yelled at them, which left everyone wondering. Finally the Guardian's flashing light show stopped and was starting to fade in color. Already it's rainbow transparent body began turning black like a half-dead light bulb. Immediately Ecco fired a sonar blast at the large gem. Nothing. He tried again, and this time, the Guardian spoke.
Ecco! You made it! Incase your wondering my dear friend, I'm in the most terrible situation.
"What's wrong? What's happening to you?" questioned the dolphin.
Two things. The first and the worst, the Foe are returning to Earth!
Everyone gasped. Again? Wasn't going through the pain and misery of the future of dolphin and mankind and fighting a giant disturbing creature bad enough as it was?
"How? I thought they retreated?"
Ecco. You only defeated them in the alternate universe where the Foe rule the Earth, and all creatures left on this planet were killed. I don't know what happened, but I do believe they're here in this solar system. The good news is, you managed to destroy their new weapon. The vortex cruiser.
Ecco and company were still confused by all this.
"It still doesn't make sense to us." Ecco replied.
You saved Earth by destroying the ship and restoring me. Time didn't change here after what you did. The past remained the same, but the future didn't.
"Now that makes sense. Now what's wrong with you." Ecco replied. The Guardian took a moment to answer his question.
Your not going to like it but… it appears my time has run out. I'm dying Ecco. My power is running out.
"You can't be! Not now!" cried Aqua feeling frustrated about the situation.
Yes I know. There is hope though.
"How Guardian? Please tell us before it's to late" asked Ecco with a tear draining out of his eye.
When I pass on. There will be a crystal that will revive me to a low power state.
It's entire figure turned dark. The Guardian moaned a few last words.
Then… I'll tell you… about the rest…
It finally went dark. Everyone began dripping tears, lowering their heads in sorrow. Shard swam over to the front of the group and huffed, but no one turned to attention to the seahorse. Ecco who was the only one listening about the crystal swam back to the front of the crowed, and fired a loud sonar to the mourners.
"If you were listening guys, he said there was a crystal that bring him back. So let's find it people!" Shard ordered. Everyone scattered to find it. Aqua looked in the trenches. Coral looked in Shauza's cave. Hammer looked in the museums, and Ecco and Shauza looked in the locations of the crystals from the last restoration.
Shard, the only one not looking noticed a lump near the Guardian. He gently dusted off the lump and saw a blue transparent crystal about his size. He felt a tad happy over his mellow self, and began dusting the crystal further off.
"Guys. You might want a look at this." Shard called to the group. Aqua the first to come over noticed the crystal. His eyes widened open and quickly jerked the crystal out of the floor.
"This has to be it! Shard that laziness of yours might be useful after all." Joked the killer whale as he carried the crystal towards the dead Guardian. Hammer coming out of the large museum saw the two carrying the crystal and yelled to everyone else. Ecco, Shauza, and Coral quickly swam back to the Guardian and watched as Aqua spat the gem into it.
A massive blue light flashed before them, and the Guardian lighted up a blinding white glow.
"It's beautiful" said the two female dolphins.
The light faded, and the Guardian revived from it's death shined a new light blue transparent color.
I knew you could find it here somewhere. Now back to business… Ah yes. I may be back and glowing again, which will last a thousand years, and the guarantee of the safety of our home and more will happen if you fully revive me to my powerful state.
"What do we have to do?" asked Coral feeling confident about the task they must do.
In order to revive me to my full state you must bring me…
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh" Coral said getting ready to go.
Two-hundred revive shards, and twenty-five power crystals.
Coral jaw-dropped in disappointment and dropped her fins. Ecco tried to calm her down, but only to get pushed away. She started to shake, and screamed as high pitched as she could, hurting everyone's ears, and cracking the Ecco statue.
"Guardian, where are these shards and crystals? And why so many?" Ecco asked beginning to lose his patience as well.
Their everywhere on this planet Ecco. Some are here in the Isles of Tranquility; some are in the Sea of Japan, the Gulf of Mexico, and even in the Mediterranean and Indian oceans. Some are probably being held by creatures that many haven't seen for years! I was given this power in a large amount. And…
"…that's why we need to give you so many. Got that. Now, how are we going to fight these myth monsters if charging at them won't work? And how are we going to get to those oceans, especially the Mediterranean?!" questioned Shard as he too was losing his patience.
Once you bring me enough shards and crystals I can be able to create portals out of newly built glyphs! Now you won't have to swim so much or carry a huge load. But I'm weak to produce one at the moment, so bare with me. I sense plenty to open one right here in the Isles themselves! Now… Ecco, will you swim forward and poke your beak on me? I have something to help you with that first question.
Ecco swam to the Guardian and took a tiny poke with his beak. The tiny light that the Guardian and the base of it fired a purple beam at Ecco, causing him to endure. The stars on his forehead shined as bright as stars themselves. Finally the beam stopped and Ecco felt a rush of strength in his head.
Do you remember your old friend the Asterite? The one who gave you a beam of power out of your stars?
"Of course I do. I wish he didn't die. He could've given us a little more hope." Replied Ecco feeling sad that he still misses the one who help save his pod mates and time itself.
That power I gave you is just like that. Except it's not as powerful and more nicer looking than his. It's still very useful.
"Thank you Guardian. This new power brings me back." He turned around and noticed that everyone was falling asleep. "I think we should all turn in and rest and begin our adventure tomorrow. Wouldn't you agree Shard?" Ecco asked turning to his seahorse friend. Shard just nodded, and swam over to wake everyone up.
"We're starting our little scavenger hunt tomorrow. Let's get some rest." He yelled at everyone waking them up. Coral charged over and bumped him on the Guardian.
"You should have just left us alone and sleepy. Right, Aqua? Hammer?" she turned to the two who were still half-asleep. They both yawned and went back to sleep on the surface on the beach. She just huffed and swam with Shauza to sleep near an empty coral reef on the beach.
"Enjoy your rest guys." Ecco whispered to everyone who were already asleep.