Chun-nan is a quaint little group of islands, holding three kingdoms… Three dynasties. The Dynasty of the Zodiac is the largest of the three kingdoms, created first by a group of freedom fighters who sought to end the tyranny of the Dynasty of Iron Will. Each Freedom Fighter represented a different zodiac animal, with the dragon being the leader. The Dynasty of the Free is the second largest, once led by the Monkey King of old. After bringing an end to the Iron Will's tyranny, a pact was formed by the four great clans to form a great alliance under the banner of the Monkey King. With free will, the four clans now live in peace with the Dynasty of the Zodiac. And finally, the Dynasty of Iron Will, the now smallest of the three kingdoms. Once a fearsome power, now has been reduced to a mere shell of its former self. Ruled by a single queen and her partner, she has but a small army to command…

Within an artificial island, created in the shape of a certain egg-shaped dictator, alarms were blaring as Egg Robos and Rollers flew and rolled down a hallway, chasing a duo of Mobians. One Mobian stopped as the other passed by him in order to punch the wall and create a cave in to block their pursuers. The duo enter a lab, with a light revealing them to be… Lam the Goat and Mighty the Armadillo. Previously seen together as Lam agreed to help Mighty infiltrate an island in which he had lost his best friend on. Whatever happened, it led to security being on their tail…

Mighty: "Lam… Please tell me I did not just see what I thought I saw… I know I've been gone a while… B-But…"

Lam: "I don't know what to tell you, Mighty. I'm still trying to catch my breath…"

Mighty: "W-What do we do? We're trapped!"

Lam looks around and finds a large computer and walks up to it. The sounds of blasters blasting the rubble Mighty dropped to stop their pursuers could be heard getting louder, causing a slight panic. Lam worked as fast as she could, but she was just typing random keys, unsure if they did anything. A recording device finally came online.

Lam: "Listen! We need help! Whoever gets this! We need assistance! My name is Lam! We're trapped on-"

Mighty: "They're breaching in! Hurry!"

Lam: "I-I'll try to send coordinates! Please come quickly!"

Laser blasts come into the room as Lam finishes sending her message, though at he 90% sent mark, a laser hits the monitor, destroying it. Lam is left in shock as she thinks her message got corrupted. As the robots surround them, a figure - a rather small and furry figure with a long tail - walked through the robots.

Figure: "Take them away in the name of Lord Robotnik."

Egg Robo: "Yes, sir."

The duo were crowded upon, leaving their fate unknown…

Out on the open sea, Sally and her Team Freedom, consisting of Tekno, Rosie, and Nicole, were on the high seas on Julie's boat, heading for Chun-nan as part of their mission. Rosie acted as the helmswoman and Nicole as the navigator.

Nicole: "According to my calculations, we should arrive to Chun-nan within an hour."

Sally: "Alright, girls. We need to mind our manners while in unfamiliar territory."

Tekno: "Don't worry, we got this. Not all of us are Sonic."

Rosie: "Indeed, princess. Though I have read something interesting. During this time of year, Chun-nan prepares for a festival that will last all week starting from Sunday until Saturday."

Nicole: "Correct. It's called the Festival of Myths, where stories are told of long forgotten myths and legends from time's past, namely within Chun-nan itself, but some tales are told from other regions. The most famous are 'The Ogre of Iron Mountain', 'The Nine Tailed Maiden', and 'The Journey' told by the Monkey King himself. The last one was even adapted into a series of books and novels."

Tekno then starts to laugh as she thinks back to Amy and her love for myths and legends.

Tekno: "If Amy heard about any of this, you know she'd be complaining in jealousy that I got the better mission!"

Sally: "Heh. Funny as that is, let's be nice. Besides, let's stick to our main goal, finding the Dragon Temple and asking about this pendant."

Sally says as she pulls out the pendant in question, its shine glimmering under the bright sun. She then pockets it again.

Sally: "We'll talk about the festival afterwards. Alright?"

Everyone: "YEAH!"

The boat parks by a pier, allowing the group walk into the Japanese inspired Zodiac Kingdom, which was still in the process of preparing the festival.

Tekno: "Flower petals in the wind, lanterns hung by string, and the smell of candy apples… Aw, man, the festival's gotten me excited…"

Rosie: "Let's concentrate on the Dragon Temple first. Though… I do have to wonder… How do you think we'll look in kimono?"

As Tekno just laughs at the idea, Sally walks ahead with Nicole out. But as she types in commands for a map, she accidentally bumps into someone walking by.

Sally: "Oomph! S-Sorry… Didn't mean to bump into you."

Sally shook her head before she spots the one she bumped into - a fox lady who had an almost striking resemblance to Tails aside from having a single tail and obviously being female. She wore a rather gorgeous looking kimono and held a parasol over her head.

Fox: "Pray think nothing of it, young lady. It is our fault for not watching our step. Here."

The fox lady hands the computer back to Sally before bowing.

Sally: "Hey. Have we met somewhere before? You look… familiar…"

Fox: "Perhaps we have? Perhaps we have not? Who is to say really? Do be careful, Sally."

Sally: "Thanks…"

Sally walks back to her group, before she stops, doing a double take as she turned back to the fox lady… only to find her gone.

Sally: "...Weird. How'd she know my name?"

Nicole: "Her presence was most… strange."

Sally: "You saw her too? So it wasn't in my imagination…"

Nicole: "Indeed… But in any case, I can supply a map to the Dragon Temple, if you wish."

Sally: "That would be swell. Tekno, Rosie? You two can explore the festival if you want. Just stay close, okay?"

Rosie: "Yes, ma'am."

Rosie bows in respect to her princess before grabbing Tekno by the hand and dragging her to the changing booths.

Tekno: "Hey, I said I didn't want a stinkin' kimono!"

Sally smiled as she rolled her eyes before following the directions to the Dragon Temple, keeping to the road as she walked.

The young princess arrives at the Dragon Temple after a good while of walking. The colossal structure built with red brimstone and golden marble gave it a regal appearance, befitting for a species of such might and power. The entrance itself had statues of two dog-looking creatures that seem to ward off intruders, but Sally came with peaceful intent… At least she hoped that would be enough to grant entry. With a deep breath, she enters the temple, being greeted by a torchlit interior with statues of the former Freedom Fighters of old that represent the Dynasty of the Zodiac on both sides of the temple. In the far back, a large scaly lump lay on a shrine, but as Sally got closer, the lump began to stir, revealing a large, serpentine, red dragon. His voice was booming, though regal all the same.

Dragon: "You! Youthful squirrel of the Kingdom of Acorn!"

Sally: "A-Ahem… Y-Your dragonship…"

Sally was certainly nervous; the large size was bad enough, but if the stories from her father of dragons in the past are true, then it would be best to not anger the one in front of her.

Dragon: "I am Zan, the Dragon of the Zodiac Dynasty. And the protector of the Dynasty of the Free. What business have you here?"

Sally: "Pardon my intrusion, Lord Zan. I am Princess Sally of the Kingdom of Acorn. I come seeking knowledge, advised by a teacher of mine."

Sally pulls out the red dragon pendant she had, showing it to Zan. The dragon peered at it before lowering his head closer to Sally.

Zan: "A most… intriguing find you have there, young Sally. Tell me… Where did you find this?"

Sally: "I didn't find it initially… A friend of mine, Relic, found it on Northstar Island. There were three of them, but two of them went missing."

Zan: "Hmm… A story of a long forgotten past… Long ago, on that very same island, we of the dragon were outcasts of Mobian society, far and away due to our dangerous disposition. We sailed the vast oceans of the Mobius Sea until we found Northstar Island; there, we formed our own home… Our own clan. And in time, we learned to suppress our power of the dragon, using four jewels found on that island. On that day, we created… the Dragon Amulets of Nature."

Sally: "Dragon Amulets of Nature?"

Sally looked at the pendant - now Amulet - then at the red jewel in the center.

Zan: "What you have is the Red Amulet of Fire. A blessing in one sense… but a curse in another."

Sally: "Wh-Why?"

Zan: "...Hmm… One certain member of our growing clan did not wish to bury away his power; in fact, he sought revenge against those that casted us away. None of us shared his mindset, resulting in many of my bretheren's deaths… In the end, the Amulets were used to seal him away, ensuring that his evil may never come to pass… What remained of our clan left that land behind us, vanishing from our minds, with very few still remembering it to this day."

Sally: "Wow… So these Amulets could let loose some kind of evil?"

Zan: "Indeed. An ancient evil by today's standards…"

Sally was confused, but then a thought occurred to her.

Sally: "Are you… that old?"

Zan lets out a laugh before fire engulfs him, a large inferno covering his entire body before it slowly vanishes. On the ground was now a winged, scaly Mobian, three rows of spikes across his head. He kept his red coloration, but now with a mix of orange on his belly and tail. His thin dragon mustache, though now shorter in length due to his adjusted size, was still present. His voice was still deep, but not as booming as before.

Zan: "Apologies for the show, Princess. Even in times of peace, I must be prepared at all times. But to answer your question… Yes. I am that old. Old enough to know your great grandfather, nine generations removed."

Sally: "That is… very old. But that explains the 'us' and 'we'. You experienced these things yourself."

Zan: "Yes… My return to Chun-nan was met not with quiet celebration, but the smell of evil… As one evil is banished, another rises on an unrelated island… The Iron King ruled Chun-nan with an iron fist, claiming to be the rightful king of this island. By forming a bond with my friends of the past, we worked to free the people… Creating the kingdoms we see today."

Sally: "Wow… What of your former Freedom Fighter friends?"

Zan: "Long dead by now… But their descendants still persist. Still thrive to this very day… I feel it…"

As Zan stares at the statues, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. A loud voice pierces into the halls, the peace and quiet of the moment all but shattering. Zan sighs before turning to face a figure running into the temple, a green lizard-like Mobian with pink spikes going from the back of her head to the edge of her tail. A pair of gray horns rested upon her head, and she wore more modern clothing such as pink shorts with black stripes on the sides, white gloves with black rings as cuffs, and a pink sleeveless shirt. Her shoes looked to be specially made, possibly because of her clawed feet, if Zan's exposed feet were any indication.

Zan: "Dulcian Li Renala… you must quiet your voice, my daughter. This is a very important temple."

Dulcian: "S-Sorry, dad. But this is important too… Two of the Four Clan leaders are missing! Only the Brides of Many Paths and Constant Vigil are here for the festival…"

Zan: "Hmm… I see… Sally."

Sally: "Yes?"

Zan: "Forgive me, but I must tend to this matter. I do hope you've learned something from our talk."

Sally: "I have. Thank you."

Sally bows politely to Zan, but the dragon simply waves it off.

Zan: "Dulcian? If Sally chooses to stay for the festival, perhaps you can act as her guide during the duration. Would you be so kind?"

Dulcian: "Sure! I don't mind!"

Zan nods in appreciation before flying off, leaving Sally and Dulcian alone. Sally felt a bit awkward, having heard from Zan himself that this is his daughter; though Dulcian just smiles at Sally before inviting her to join the festivities.

To be continued…