Before we start. I know some of you were hoping I would mention Claudia and Viren to Namaari, but I didn't. It didn't fit the mode I was trying to have. You'll see what I mean in a bit. Now Chapter 9.

Chapter 9

River Of Choices

Steel Fang

In Steel Fang, Virana was telling children about the story of Steel Fang with a puppet show. "And that is how the land of Steel Fang rose in spite of all the monsters that wanted to destroy us. Because we're smart, resilient, and we take care of one another." Virana said to the kids.

"Mother! We need to talk." A voice said to Virana. That's when Virana noticed Namaari walking to them. "It's princess Namaari!" One of the children said, before all the children got excited, and rushed her, not that Namaari mind.

"All right, all right, now, run along, kittens. I have to speak with the princess." Virana said to the children, before the children were taken away.

"Mother, you won't believe what I saw." Namaari said to Virana. "You saw a dragon. Regidrago, living Pokemon, and humans with Pokemon powers. General Atitaya informed me that you'd be returning home without the gem pieces." Virana said to Namaari.

"It was Sisu and Regidrago. They can fix what we broke. They can bring everyone back." Namaari said to Virana. "And that's what scares me. When everyone comes back, who do you think they'll come for? You forget. The other lands blame us for what's happened." Virana said to Namaari. "But we… We never meant for anyone to get hurt." Namaari said to Virana

"Yes, but if we had the dragon, Regidrago and the gem pieces, we would be forgiven. We could save the world. And if we had the Pokemon, then we could wait until we had the ability to protect ourselves with Pokemon, then free everyone. Plus if I have one of these two boys marry you, and you give birth to a child with their powers. Then, Steel Fang will never have to worry about anyone coming for vengeance ever again, Steel Fang will be the strongest of all the lands, lead by a human with the powers of fire or thunder, and our people will truly be safe from all things." Virana said to Namaari.

"Mother!" Namaari said, getting really embarrassed and uncomfortable by this talk. "I'm sorry if this isn't a talk you're ready for." Virana said to Namaari. "But Raya isn't just gonna give Sisu and Regidrago to us. And the Pokemon probably won't come with us. Plus I don't want to marry either of them, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to marry me." Namaari said to Virana, making Virana sigh.

"We're not going to give them a choice." Virana said to Namaari. "What are you going to do?" Namaari asked Virana. "That's no longer your concern, my love. You've done enough. What is your concern now, is thinking which man of those two boys would be a better husband for you." Virana said to Namaari, before leaving. This made Namaari feel bad.

Kumandra's River

At night In the river, everyone, minus the Con-baby, the ongis, and Gliscor was staring at the Steel Fang city. "If she refuses to help, we've just flushed our tactical advantage into the dung pot." Tong said, as Sisu tried to eat some of Raya's jerky. "I know." Raya said. "Yeah. he really has no reason to help us." Boun said to Raya. "I know." Raya said to Sisu.

"This plan has way too many "if" for my liking." Kali said to everyone. "I know." Raya said. "I don't know if that old charm is enough to get her on our side." Callum said to Raya. "I know." Raya said, as Sisu finally at the jerky, only to still not like it. "This jerky's terrible." Sisu said to everyone. "I know!" Raya said to everyone, getting tired of saying I know.

"Are you sure those four miniature menaces will be successful?" Tong asked everyone. "Why do you think we asked Gliscor to go with them?" Rayla asked Tong.

Steel Fang

In Steel Fang, Con-baby, the ongis, and Gliscor, were moving through Steel Fang with ease. While hiding they found Namaaris room in the tallest tower. Con-baby then gave them a signal to take out a guard.

Then the ongis took out a guard. And after the ongis took out the guard, and tied him up. Gliscor moved him out of sight. That's when the Con-baby took the keys off the guard, and the ongis helped the Con-baby up and she unlocked the door.

They moved through the palace, and whenever a guard would get close, Gliscor used its wings to hide them. As they made their way through the palace, the Con-baby stopped everyone. She signaled the ongis to grab a bowl of food. But Gliscor used her tail to stop them from taking it, and made them move on.

After a few more ticks that a normal baby couldn't do, they were outside and right under Namaari's bedroom window, where Namaari was thinking about what her mother said. Namaari then heard some chittering, and noticed a bag getting tossed onto her window. "Huh?" Namaari said, as she walked to the window.

Once she reached the window, she saw Gliscor fly off into the knight with the Con-baby and the ongis on her back. Namaari then noticed the bag had a note on it. She took out the note and read it. After reading it, she opened the bag, and found it was her old charm that she gave to Raya all those years ago.

Kumandra's River

Back on the boat, after Gliscor, the Con-baby, and the ongis returned, they got ready for a big dinner, with everyone helping out in various ways. Everyone but Raya who was looking at Steel Fang, with a worried look.

Then Raya's attention was drawn to a problem with Boun and Tong arguing over the main course soup. "There's too much spice." Tong said to Boun. "Uh, no. There's too much bamboo." Boun said to Tong. "What do you know? You have the taste buds of a tall baby." Tong said to Boun. "Well, you dress like a tall baby." Boun said to Tong. "Give me the spoon! I'm taking over!" Tong said to Boun, reaching for the spoon. "Back off, tidal wave. I'm the professional here." Boun said to Tong, holding the spoon away from Tong.

"Can you two stop arguing? We're waiting for you to finish the main course." Kali said to them, as Raya walked over to everyone. "May I?" Raya asked everyone, as she added some sugar into the food. Boun tried it and he liked it. "Whoa! That's good." Boun said, as Kali got curious, and tried it. "Where did you learn to make this? It's really good." Kali asked Raya.

"It's just a little something my ba showed me." Raya said to Kali, as everyone took a seat at the table. "Aw. Did he also show you how to make that delicious jerky?" Sisu asked Raya, as Tong passed out bowls of soup to everyone. "No, that was all me." Raya said to Sisu, as she looked at her soup.

That's when Zym tried to reach for Raya's bowl trying to see the soup. But Zym accidentally hit the side of the bowl, causing it to flip onto him, and get him covered in the soup. This causes Zym to whimper a little.

"Oh. It's okay Zym. Come on, I'll clean you up." Sisu said to Zym, getting the bowl off him, and picking him up. Sisu then jumped into the river with Zym and started to clean him.

While Sisu and Zym were in the river, cleaning up Zym. Rayla and Kali cleaned up the mess Zym made on the table. A few seconds later, Sisu and Zym came back onto the ship, with Zym clean, and while Sisu shook off the water outside, Zym was still all wet.

"Here." Boun said to Sisu, before passing Sisu a towel. "Thank you." Sisu said, as she use the towel to dry Zym. When Sisu finished drying Zym, Zym had sticky hair, and everyone found it adorable and funny, even Zym thought it fun. While everyone laughed, and Sisu put the towel down, Allen noticed Raya having a sad look in her eyes.

"What's wrong Raya?" Allen asked Raya, as Tong gave her another bowl of soup. "I was just thinking about that one time I did the same thing Zym did, and my ba cleaned me up, with him giggling at me for my silliness." Raya said to everyone, looking at the soup again.

"It'll be nice to share a meal with him again." Raya said to everyone, as everyone started to eat the food. "I know what you mean. I have this really obnoxious sister who always tousles my hair." Boun said, before chuckling softly.

"I can't wait to see her the most." Boun said to everyone. "I for one speak for us, when I say. We can't wait to go home." Ezran said to everyone.

"You got that right. I can't wait to get home, and start my magic training." Callum said to Ezran. "Magic training?" Sisu asked Callum. "Here let me show you." Callum said, as he turned to the lookup at Sisu, and drew the Aspiro symbol.

"Aspiro." Callum said, as he fired a gust of wind, blowing Sisu's hair. "What was that?" Sisu asked Callum. "My magic. I haven't used it much because they're wasn't a good time to use it. And I only have a couple tricks up my sleeve." Callum said to Sisu.

"A human with magic? That's so cool!" Sisu said to Callum, with excitement in her voice. "I know right. I can't wait to learn more spells when we get home." Callum said to everyone, with excitement in his voice.

"Personally. I can't wait to see my sister's first child." Kali said to everyone. "I speak from expenses. It will be magical when you see that little one for the first time. It will just be as magical, when I fill my eyeball with the joytastic image of my village full again." Tong said to everyone, before looking sad. The Con-baby then moved onto Tong, and touched the right side of his head.

"And you will be reunited with your family, Noi." Tong said to the Con-baby, surprising everyone. "Uh, what did you just call her?" Raya asked Tong.

"Noi. it's her name." Tong said to Raya, as the Con-baby finished some soup and burped. "It is?" Allen asked Tong.

"It's written on her collar." Tong said to Allen. "She has a collar?" Rayla asked. Tong. "Have none of you ever checked?" Tong asked everyone. "Ahhhh, no." Callum said to Tong. "And they think of me as the ruffian." Tong said to Noi, with Noi comforting him.

That's when they heard a flare whistling, and turned to the sky. That's when they noticed a single firework over Steel Fang. "What's that mean?" Sisu asked everyone. "It means we're on." Raya said to everyone.

"Sisu, Regidrago, until we get that gem and confirm Namaari's actually on our side, promise me you two will stay hidden." Raya said to Sisu and Regidrago. They nodded in understanding what Raya asked of them.

The next morning Namaari was standing on the edge of a forest, by a cliff edge, waiting for everyone, with the charm in her hands. Raya, Drake, and Allen, looked at her from the shadow of the trees, with Raya wearing her cloak. "Okay. Here we go." Drake said to everyone, as they walked out of the tree.

Drake and Allen stopped, as Raya got closer to Namaari. "I see you got my gift." Raya said to Namaari. "I never thought I'd see this again." Namaari said to Raya. "Well, uh… I tried to take good care of it. You're not the only dragon nerd here." Raya said to Namaari, making Namaari chuckle.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but Namaari did you bring the Gem?" Allen asked Namaari. Namaari said nothing, and pulled out the gem, wrapped in a fabric. Namaari put her charm away, and the Gem down.

"She brought it." Drake said, as Sisu and Regidrago came out from hiding. Namaari held out her hand in a circle for them. Then Sisu and Regidrago moved to Raya's side, with Sisu on Ray's left, and Regidrago on Raya's right. "The final piece." Sisu said to everyone. "We've waited a long time for this moment." Regidrago said to everyone.

"Time to bring everyone back." Raya said, moving her cloak, revealing her Gem bag. That's when they heard a weapon creak. That's when they noticed Namaari had a loaded crossbow in her hands, pointing it at them.

"Namaari what are you doing?" Drake asked Namaari. "Sisu, Regidrago, the Gem pieces, the Pokemon, and you two boys are coming with me." Namaari said to everyone.

"What? Us?" Drake asked. "Yes. Now, everyone, but Raya get over here, and brings the Pokemon." Namaari said to everyone. "Namaari. Look." Allen said to Namaari, as he and Drake tossed their staffs away. "I don't know what you're thinking or planning. But this won't change anything." Allen said to Namaari, with a calm tune in his voice.

"Sisu." Boun said, as everyone else came running up to them. "Stay back!" Namaari said, as she pointed the arrow at them, making Rayla get in front of Ezran and Zym. "It was foolish to trust someone from Steel Fang!" Tong said to everyone. "Tong, not helping." Drake said to Tong.

"Don't come any closer!" Namaari said to everyone, shaking. "Namaari, it doesn't have to be like this." Raya said to Namaari. "I don't have any other choice." Namaari said to Raya.

"Namaari, we always have a choice. You can choose to keep making selfish choices and keep hurting the world, or you can put the crossbow down and help us save the world." Allen said to Namaari, with a still calming tune in his voice, trying to defuse the situation. "I can't. I have to do this." Namaari said, her finger twitching.

Raya then reached for a sword. "Hey. I got this." Sisu said to Raya. "Give her a chance." Regidargo said to Raya.

Raya listens to them, and let go of her sword. Raya nodded in thank you, and stepped forward, getting in front of Regidrago and glowing. "I know you don't wanna hurt anybody." Sisu said to Namaari.

"What are you doing?" Namaari asked Sisu. "You just want a better world. Like we all do." Sisu said to Namaari, stopping in front of Namaari. "Sisu…" Namaari said, her eyes watering. "I trust you, Namaari." Sisu said to Namaari.

Raya then saw Namaari's finger twitching even more, and with a disgusted look on her face, whipped her sword at Namaari. "RAYA NO!" Drake and Allen yelled, as they tried to stop Raya's sword. But it was too late, Raya's sword hit Namaari's crossbow, and caused Namaari to fire the arrow.

In horror everyone watched as the arrow went through Sisu's heart and right into Regidrago's face, forming a giant crack in Regidrago, making the color in Regidrago's spots fade away, at the same time the glow of Sisu fade. They both fell over the cliff edge.

"No!" Raya, Ezran, Callum, Rayla, Kali, Allen, and Drake said, as they all ran to the edge of the cliff, with the twins picking up their staffs.

As they did that, Namaari dropped her crossbow and grabbed her Dragon Gem piece, with its light now fading, and ran away.

"Sisu! Regidrago!" Raya yelled, as everyone reached the edge just in time to see two large splashes in the river below.

While everyone looked down, with freaked out looks in their faces, with Zym having a very sad look on his face, because everyone knew they were both dead. Raya backed up, rage and hatred consumed her heart, and it showed on her face.

Then Drake and Allen's staff started to make a gong sound while glowing purple, at the same time the Pokemon started to roar in pain. Then the river started to disappear, like someone turned off the water and opened all the drains. "What's happening?" Boun asked everyone, as Tong picked up Noi.

"I don't know. It appears that with the last dragon gone, so too goes the water." Tong said to everyone. "It's worse than that. I think the river's Dragon Energy is dead or dying. That's why our staff and Pokemon are freaking out." Drake said to everyone. "And if the Dragon Energy dies so does everything attached to it." Allen said to everyone, reasling what that meant.

"That includes the whole river." Drake said to everyone, as they realized what they meant. "Now there is nothing to stop the Druun. Nothing." Tong said, as they could see the Druun begin their march on Steel Fang.

"Raya? Where's Raya?" Boun asked, as everyone noticed she was missing. That's when they noticed a bag on the ground with the Dragon Gem pisces laying on the ground and Raya's sword sheath laying next to it.

Drake moved to the bag and noticed the Dragon shard of the Dragon Gem was missing, and with her sword sheath was left behind, Drake had an idea about where she was. "Going to the worst possible place she can be going to right now. Come on, we have to get to her before any Druun does!" Drake said to everyone, as Drake grabbed the bag with the Dragon Gem Pisces and sheath, and everyone started to run towards Steel Fang.

Hello everyone, I hope you like this chapter. Please follow or review if you like this story. I wonder if any of you saw me killing Regidrago along with Sisu. If you want to see what happens next. Sorry, you'll have to wait until tomorrow.

And sorry for not mentioning Claudia and Viren, I felt like telling Namaari about them would only make things worse for all of them.