Episode 35 is now up and ready. Enjoy, read, and by all means leave a review!
Sidney and Luna were set safely atop the island where the stone room was. Lunar Solstice Dragon circled around the island protectively. Luna looked down, wondering what to do next. Sidney had a feeling she knew what to do.
"Luna, I would like you to wait here for me unless you are called back, ok?" Sidney asked. Luna was worried. But she looked up at the dragon.
"Lunar Solstice Dragon will protect you if any big bad monster should come along. He's more than a match for most of them, I think."
Luna nodded. "Just be careful, ok?"
"Ok. I don't think this will take very long." Sidney pulled off her socks and dove into the lake. Struggling to see in the deep water, she managed to focus on the entrance point underneath the island. She swam into the cavern and saw the shadows swirling above. After breaking the surface of the waves, she looked around. The room looked the same as it did in her dream, with etchings of the Crimson Dragon and trickles of water streaming down with a beam of sunlight.
She pulled herself out of the opening and started squeezing water out of her skirt. Her hair was soaked and her clothes were sopping wet. As she tried to dry herself off, she heard mysterious whispers echoing in the cave. They were like the ones she had heard the first time, but as they went on one voice rose above them.
"I'm very glad you made it. Now I must speak with you, dear Princess."
The drawing of the Crimson Dragon began emanating a brilliant red light and caused her marks to glow as well. It seemed to start peeling off the wall like dried paint. It took a solid form and shape, and before she realized what was happening, the Crimson Dragon was right in front of her, wrapping its long body around her.
The beast looked like a living fire, with all-circling wings and big burning eyes. Its claws stretched out as it grasped Sidney. She flinched, but realized that it didn't burn at all when the Crimson Dragon touched her.
"Those with my mark are immune to my fire, unless I will it otherwise. You needn't worry." The Crimson Dragon's voice was feminine and motherly in nature.
"Ancient Fairy Dragon said you had some knowledge you felt needed to be passed on to me. I wish for you to impart this knowledge to me."
"It is not my will, but the will of all five dragons that you know this…I wish for you to see a vision of the first Star Princess…"
Sidney gasped. "The first?"
Before she could say anything more, the room vanished, and she found herself in what looked like an ancient village. The grass under her feet was wet from a recent rainfall and the whole village was surrounded by jungle.
"We are in the village where the People of the Stars resided. Pay mind that this is a vision. The people here will not see us or hear us." Sidney nodded. The Crimson Dragon followed her as she wondered through the village, admiring the stone houses and the many people running about. It was almost like a scene from a movie, she thought.
At the center of the city was a temple towering several stories above the other buildings.
Sidney stood in awe. The dragon beckoned for her to get on its back. She clambered on and the Crimson Dragon flew her up to the top, where there were a few people talking to each other.
"You didn't expect me to make you walk all the way up there, did you? I'm afraid time is of the essence here." The Dragon sighed. Sidney giggled, looking back at the people. In the center of the group was a tall, muscular man adorned in an elegant white and gold robe. He also wore an ornate headdress made of gold and brilliantly colored feathers atop his head, concealing his shoulder-length dark hair. She noticed he had the mark of the dragon's head, one she hadn't seen yet. He seemed to look vaguely like Goodwin to Sidney, but only because of the way he carried himself.
"He's the chief, isn't he?" Sidney asked. The dragon nodded.
"Supay was chief of the People of the Stars. He was also the adoptive father to the first Star Princess, Sinchi. I had this duty bestowed upon him because I believed I could trust him, but I would later learn I was wrong…"
Sidney cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
Her attention was back on the people. Other than Supay, there were five others. She noticed all of them, including Supay, bore a mark of the Crimson Dragon.
"They were all my Signers. I had chosen them to carry on the legacy of the five dragons after we had first sealed them beneath the earth, for we knew they would come again some day. In those days shortly after, though they did not succeed, the Immortals attempted to resurface, by recruiting humans to try and unleash them, in return they promised them revenge and power."
"The first Dark Signers?" Sidney asked.
"Indeed." The Crimson Dragon replied. They looked at each other person there as they spoke. Supay addressed them all, thanking them for coming.
"This is no easy task that has been bestowed upon you. All of us have been chosen to protect the world from the return of the Army of Shadows…though I cannot force you to actually do so. I will give you each one day to consider. But be warned, there is no going back from here."
"This is just like the day Goodwin explained the whole thing about the Dark Signers to us." Sidney whispered.
"What about these Dark Signers? How will we even know who they are?" An impatient young man stood next to Supay. He wore a red robe and was also adorned with gold, but lacked a headdress. He carried a spear in one hand, and had violet eyes. His hair was neatly groomed and his skin was lighter than most of the other people there, except for the chief. He was arrogant and pushy, like Jack, Sidney thought. He even had Jack's symbol, the wings.
"Be at ease, Uturuncu. The Dark Signers will bear a mark of the Shadows. They might be someone you know, or a complete stranger. But, you will know one when you see one, I assure you."
Uturuncu grunted. A woman next to him, about his age, anxiously put her hand over her mark, the foreclaw. She had long wavy hair and golden eyes, and wore a long white gown with a jaguar skin draped over it.
"Are you starting to see a pattern here, Star Princess?"
Sidney thought for a moment. "Their appearances are different, but they all remind me of the other signers. I mean, that girl seems like Aki, and Uturuncu is like Jack, and Supay even looks like Goodwin in a way."
"Are you ok, Atabei?" A little boy pulled on her robe. He was bald and had bright brown eyes and a light robe. On his arm was the hindclaw, the same mark Luna possessed.
"I'm fine, Quenti." She replied. Sidney quickly glanced over at the last two people. The Crimson Dragon remained silent, no longer annotating the scene. She sensed it was probably unnecessary at this point.
The last two were a young man and woman. The man had deep blue eyes and messy, long black hair, as well as a deep dark shade to his skin. He wore a simple dark blue outfit and the mark of the tail was on his arm. His hand was wrapped around the young woman standing next to him, who Sidney guessed was Sinchi, the Star Princess.
She wore a shoulderless, light red dress that reached just below her knees and a small golden headband on her head with a design of the Crimson Dragon. Her waist- length hair was tied back by a red ribbon to keep her cool in the heat of the humid jungle climate.
"If you will excuse my sudden dismissal of all of you, I wish to speak with my daughter in private." Supay motioned to all of them. Quenti and Atabei started their walk down the steps, with Uturuncu following behind. He glared at the other young man jealously when he saw his hand intertwined with Sinchi's.
"You realize the Princess was promised to my house, Yuche." He sneered at him. Sinchi refused to be intimidated by him. Sidney admired her, she was much braver than herself, she thought. But, as Uturuncu departed, a different side of the princess came to light. A few tears trickled down her face.
"So, she was betrothed to Uturuncu, but she's in love with Yuche. It sounds awefully familiar…" Sidney whispered.
"Yuche, if you wish to stay…It may be in your best interest." The chief called him back when he turned to leave. He bowed and returned to Sinchi's side.
"There is a secret I must share. It concerns a hidden power that the Signers posses. I cannot tell anyone else for fear word may be spread and the information rendered useless." Supay explained.
"What is this hidden power you speak of, Father?" Sinchi asked, her voice was soft but regal. Supay pointed up to the ceiling at a carving. It depicted the Crimson Dragon, but it had another unknown dragon in the center of five familiar dragons.
"This carving above us, do you know what it shows?" Supay inquired.
"Yes, Father. It shows the Crimson Dragon and the five original dragons that created it. But there is a sixth dragon at the center. Is that what you are referring to?"
"Indeed. But, look at each of the five dragons. You see they each bear a Signer's mark on their chest?" Supay pointed. Sidney saw it first and gasped. They were exact duplicates of all the Signer marks, carved into the ceiling.
"What does this mean, Great Supay?" Yuche asked. Supay took a deep breath.
"Each of those dragons not only represents the actual dragon, but the Signer they are connected to. The Crimson Dragon encircles them on the outside, binding them together in a circle. This is because the Crimson Dragon is the force that brings the Signers together. The Crimson Dragon is the one that chooses them to fight. But, it was also created by the original five dragons, and this carving reminds us of that.
But, you will notice this other dragon is at the heart of the five. Its name is not known to common ears, but it is called…Messias Draconis, Savior Dragon."
"…Savior Dragon?" Sinchi and Sidney gasped simultaneously.
"Just as the five dragons pooled their energy and gave birth to the Crimson Dragon, legend says the five Signers can unite their energy and spirit as well. By doing so, they can summon Savior Dragon. But, it goes deeper than that.
By combining into the power of the Star Princess, Savior Dragon becomes the ultimate destroyer of Earthbound Immortals…Savior Star Dragon- the Dragon of Salvation."
There was a moment of silence. Sidney shivered.
"Is that my ultimate power, to call upon Savior Star Dragon?" She wondered aloud. Sinchi was also shivering. Yuche comforted her by smiling at her reassuringly.
"Father, I thought my ultimate power was to become one with the Crimson Dragon! Was this a false statement?"
"Not at all, my daughter. That is still your destiny as the Star Princess, for only your human spirit and flesh, what is only you, is what sets the two of you apart. But, this goes beyond your own power.
This is the greatest power of the Signers and the Star Princess! This is the power of true unity! This is the power to save the world…"
Suddenly, everything started to fade. The land and rock around them disappeared as the faces of the ancient Signers vanished into the darkness. In an instant, Sidney found herself back in the cave, with the Crimson Dragon once again coiled around her waist.
"Wait! I want to know more about the Signers from the past! And the Star Princess? How did they meet? Are their relationships different in some ways, or exactly the same as the ones I have?" Sidney asked.
"I'm afraid that is beyond my part now. If you wish to see more of the past, you must speak with the Oracle of Twilight. She will show you the past."
"Midori, of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Sidney snapped her fingers. She looked up at the dragon and suddenly frowned in a solemn fashion.
"So, was that the message? The whole thing about Savior Dragon and Savior Star Dragon?" Sidney asked. The dragon said yes. Sidney looked down.
"I wonder how that will help Luna rescue Ancient Fairy Dragon…hmmmm."
"It is also a reminder that the greatest strength of the Signers lies in their Unity. You must remind them of that, Star Princess. I fear a wave of discord! If you are not united, you were surely fail to prevail over the darkness!" The Crimson Dragon told her firmly. Sidney nodded frantically that she understood.
"I am sure with the help of others; Ancient Fairy Dragon will be free very soon. But remember that Savior Dragon is a key part of what you need to defeat the Dark Signers, we're all counting on you."
Sidney smiled. "Thank you so much. I promise we'll do everything in our power to save our homes, and the world too!"
"Good. Now I must send you and your friend home…"
Red light pooled in as Sidney began to float upwards. She heard Luna calling for her outside. She replied back to tell her things were ok.
"It's alright, Luna! We're going home now!"
Sidney closed her eyes as the light got to bright for her to tolerate.
"Goodbye, Princess."
…
Yusei smiled as Sidney moaned and opened her eyes. The light of her marks vanished. Luna also started to stir. Leo rushed to her side.
"Luna! Luna! What happened? Is everything ok? How's Ancient Fairy Dragon?" Leo was frantic. Luna tiredly put her hand on Leo's arm. He teared up.
"I'm fine, Leo. It's ok. We're home now. That's all that matters...Cry baby."
She sat up in the chair as she noticed Rally sipping his hot chocolate across from her. He smiled her nervously. She giggled.
"Does this sort of thing happen to you often?" Rally asked.
"Not until recently." Luna replied honestly. He shrugged his shoulders and took another sip He muttered to himself that glowing lights and the end of the world was still pretty strange to him. It made Luna laugh even harder. Leo was simply glad that his sister was home in one piece.
"Yusei?" Sidney mumbled as she sat up, a little woozy. He took a seat beside her now that there was room on the couch.
"I'm glad you're back. How do you feel?" He asked.
"Thank you. I feel…a little stiff in the shoulders. Tension, I guess. But…" Yusei started rubbing her shoulders. It was surprising to her, but it felt very soothing. She sighed contently. Rally picked up his hot chocolate and started to walk out.
"I was just keeping Yusei company while you were gone. I should probably check to see what the deal is on dinner." He grabbed Yusei's empty mug and strolled out the door. Jack was nearby in the kitchen, sulking. When Rally walked passed, he gave him a questioning look. Rally huffed and rolled his eyes.
"You can stop sulking now. Sidney's back."
"She is?" Jack jumped up from his chair. Rally nodded affirmatively.
"Yep. Although I would wait a minute or two before…"
Jack ignored him and swept passed him. Rally sighed.
"This is so typical…" Rally commented before walking into the kitchen, still taking swigs from his hot chocolate.
In the meantime Jack rushed down the hall. Yusei heard him coming and withdrew his hands from Sidney. He was probably on a tear and he didn't want to aggravate him. Sidney was shocked when he stopped two steps short of the room and started to enter casually, like he wasn't bothered at all.
"I heard you're awake now." He said.
"Yeah…I'm ok. Were you worried about me or something?" She asked innocently. Jack's face turned red. He wasn't really worried in the way she meant, but the fact he was worried at all made him embarrassed. He was only concerned with one thing now when it came to her. Now he could refocus on it.
"Of course not." He lied.
Sidney shrugged her shoulders, choosing not to make a big deal out if it.
"So what brings you here?" Yusei asked.
"No reason. But, you should know that dinner is being served now." Jack told him. Sidney's stomach grumbled at that moment.
"Dinner sounds like a good idea." She admitted. Yusei nodded and helped her up. Leo and Luna darted down the hall ahead of them, laughing in a giddy manner as they went. Jack rolled his eyes at the two of them.
"I can understand Leo…but Luna is usually so quiet. It's like a Kuriboh on a sugar rush." He commented sarcastically. Sidney elbowed him.
"She's just happy to be back. Lighten up."
"Alright. Have it your way." Jack walked passed her with a warning expression. Sidney had a bad feeling. Yusei saw him and grew suspicious. He only had that particular look when he had something up his sleeve. What was he planning?
To be continued in the next episode. On the asides, the ancient names used are mostly of Incan origin, but two of them come from another place in South America, and the Caribbean, respectfully (Yuche and Atabei). Also, I borrowed a line from one of my other fanfictions as a little reference, just for fun. So that's all for now! Tune in next time, and don't forget to R&R. Be here or be square!