EPISODE 2; SANZIRI NIGHTBANE AND CIELLA SOLSTICE

A day had passed since I received the Tome Of Thirteen Rules from my Gramps. It was nighttime. My siblings and I sat in the Hall watching anime. I was busy trying to make sense of 'The First Rule'. Kieran noticed me.

"Hey San, what are you reading?" He asked.

Saito and Ariel approached as well.

"I heard from Dad that you finally completed your training with Gramps, congratulations" Ariel said with a smile.

"Thanks guys" I said with a smile.

"This is worth celebrating" Saito said.

"You don't need to go through all that trouble" I said.

"It's no trouble" Kieran said.

"But before that, back to the main issue, what are you reading? You've been distracted with this book since yesterday" Saito said.

"I had Gramps make this for me. It's a record of the Thirteen Key Moments that made Gramps and Dad the men they are today" I explained.

"I see. I'm sure it has a lot of their training methods and techniques. You really do want to become stronger don't you San?" Kieran said.

"Nope, that's not it. This is a record I call the list of 'What Not To Do'. If I can evade everything recorded in this list, I will evade the family 'curse'" I said seriously.

My siblings laughed aloud.

"To think our eldest brother is simply scared of falling in love!" Saito teased.

"No Saito...you don't get it. Haven't you heard Mom and Dad's as well as Gramps and Granny's history?" I asked.

"Don't be an idiot San. The fact that they went through all that does not necessarily mean you'll go through the same thing though ultimately, that depends on you" Saito said.

"Of course it's possible that our Dreamweaver blood that makes us homing beacons for antagonistic forces hostile to Gramps, Dad and Mom may also be a factor" Kieran laughed.

"Well, there's no need getting depressed over something you cannot influence. All it means is that we just have to keep growing stronger" Saito said.

"You're right Saito" Ariel agreed.

"Well let's see what the ruckus about the contents of the Book is all about" Saito said.

I opened the Book. My siblings gulped as I turned the page to the one that contained The First Rule.

"There it is. 'The First Rule: He Will Defeat A Rampaging Rhino While Wearing A Bloodied Cape'" I read.

Then I noticed my siblings staring at me with weird expressions on their faces.

"Hey San, are you sure you're not making this up?" Saito asked.

"Why? Can't you see what's written here?" I asked.

"Nope, the page is completely blank" Saito said.

"What do you mean? It's not..." I stared at the page.

The words were staring back at me. I couldn't understand why my siblings couldn't see the words.

"Whatever the case, since Zanböngfar's rampage and the near extinction of all living things, it's been made illegal to hunt without a permit. If you went and killed a rhino while wearing a bloodied cape, the only place you'll find yourself is jail so there problem solved. I doubt you intend to become a criminal so if this 'Rule' really does exist, it's nothing to be concerned about" Saito said.

"You're right Saito. There's nothing to be concerned about" I said.

Later, at the Dining Table, my siblings told my parents about the Tome.

"Nope, you're wrong. If this Tome was handed to you by my Dad, then you need to take it very seriously" my Dad said.

"C'mon Dad. Who would fight a rampaging rhino while wearing a bloodied cape? (Insert image of Nightmare King smirking here)" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"The Tome you were handed is named The Tome Of Thirteen Rules isn't it?" My Dad asked.

I nodded.

"Well that Tome is only handed to a member of the Nightbane Family when they have been deemed worthy to succeed the Nightmare King. I too received a Tome of like nature during the five years after Zanfar's defeat that I was in the Dream World and away from your Mom. But in my case, I had already fulfilled all Thirteen Rules so I simply received a notice of succession" my Dad said.

"I see. But hasn't Gramps been wrong before? I mean who can take this seriously?" I asked.

"Nope...your Gramps has never been wrong. Not even once. In fact, most of the times he was absolutely right were the times he said something that would ordinarily not be taken seriously. Anyways if you're concerned about this, I'll speak to your Gramps tonight" my Dad said.

"Thanks Dad" I said as I got up from the Dining Table and began to head towards the door leading out of the house.

"San? Where are you going?" My Mom asked.

"I'm just taking a walk. I need to clear my head" I said and left.

"Zan, you should probably go speak with your Dad now" my Mom said.

My Dad nodded and disappeared.

"San seems so tense lately. Let's go find something that can cheer him up" Kieran suggested.

My siblings agreed and also left the house.

Meanwhile, my Dad stood before the Nightmare King.

"Dad? Why did you hand San the Tome Of Thirteen Rules? He's still just a kid" my Dad asked.

"You're one to talk. You were just a year older than he is now when I handed you the Tome. To be honest though, I would have handed him the Tome in a few years' time however...he was the one who requested it" my Gramps said.

"That's impossible. There's no way San knows about the Tome Of Thirteen Rules" my Dad said.

"He didn't ask for the Tome Of Thirteen Rules. He asked for a documented record of the key moments in our lives, yours and mine. It just so happened that those moments coincide with the Tome Of Thirteen Rules. Call it 'Fate'" my Gramps said with a smirk.

"You do know San only asked for the Tome so that he can avoid all those key moments don't you?" My Dad sighed.

"So you know about that? He asked me not to tell you. Well he should give it up. There's no way he can avoid his responsibilities" my Gramps said with a smirk.

"Dad...I've always known you to be one who believes in mankind's ability to forge their own Fate. I hope that hasn't changed" my Dad said.

"You don't get it Zan. San isn't going to fulfill all the conditions because his Fate is immutable. He will do so because of the kind of person he is. Simply put, my grandson is a more dependable person than he gives himself credit for" the Nightmare King said.

Zan smiled.

"When you put it that way, I feel sorry for my son...but at the same time I'm proud of him" my Dad said.

"Well, he has a lot of growing up to do. I hope the Tome will guide him" my Gramps said.

Meanwhile, I sat in a park in Upper West Side Dream City. Since Zanfar's defeat, my parents had decided that it would be best for the family to remain close so they moved to Upper West Side Dream City after living in Lower East Side Dream City for a short while. It was currently the year 2035 just in case you wanted to know. A large tree stood just behind me. As I sat wondering whether my Gramps was just messing with me or not, I began to hear sobs coming from the tree behind me. It sounded like the voice of a girl. Initially, I felt hesitant to react, and then I became curious. I walked behind the tree and saw a girl with long golden hair and emerald eyes seated just behind the tree. She was staring at the moon and weeping. When I saw her, a ridiculous thought entered my mind. The thought was

"This is how it starts".

So I did the logical thing, performed a 180 and began to walk away but then another thought entered my mind.

"She's a stranger. Even if I help her now, it doesn't necessarily mean she'll become a constant part of my life. For all you know we'll never meet again". So I performed another 180 adding up to a grand total of 360 and walked to her side.

"Umm... hello..." I greeted.

She wiped her tears and turned to face me. She smiled.

"Hello...I'm sorry you had to see me like this" she said.

"I know it's none of my business but I was sitting right behind you over there so I figured I should find out what's bothering you" I said.

"I see. I made it your business the moment you heard me. Well it's just...I recently moved to this city and learned from my parents that nearly twenty three years ago, a tragedy occurred here. No one ever speaks of the details but rumours say a mysterious hero and a terrible monster had a deathmatch in this city. It's even said that somewhere in this city where a great tragedy occurred, an attack from the monster created a giant crater. Over time, rising sea levels reached the area and a cape was formed. When I recall the details of the tragedy, I feel glad I wasn't born in those times but I also feel sad for those that were lost in the tragedy" the girl said with tears in her eyes.

"ACCK!" I exclaimed in horror.

"...how does a stranger know about Zanböngfar's rampage?! I was right! This is definitely how my tragedy begins!" I exclaimed and performed a 180.

"It's said on the day the tragedy occurred, the moon glowed crimson as though it were bleeding. Since then whenever I see the moonlight...especially during a full moon, I can't help but feel that some disaster is near" the girl said.

I paused in my tracks. I sighed and performed a 180 adding up to 360 for a grand total of 720 and walked to her. I grabbed her by the hand.

"Follow me" I said as I pulled her away.

"But I hardly know you" she protested.

We walked for a while in silence. Then I spoke.

"Have you heard of this river?" I asked her for we were beside Shining River. It glowed brilliantly in the moonlight.

"Yeah roughly twenty three years ago, it flowed down from the Upper Sides Of Dream City to Central Dream City. But after the battle between the monster and the mysterious heroes that confronted it, much of Dream City's landscape was reformed and many lowlands appeared somehow connecting to Shining River and redirecting its flow. Eventually, the River flowed throughout all of Dream City" the girl said.

"Have you ever seen what is at the centre of Dream City?" I asked her.

She shook her head. After a few hours travelling by bus and on foot, we arrived in Central Dream City still beside Shining River. I led the girl to a field glowing with brilliant white and yellow flowers. An endless sea of glowing white flowers and bright yellow flowers.

"Wh-What's this?" she stared at the field in awe.

Mixed in with the White Flowers were also Sunflowers.

"You only heard a part of the tale. Before the battle between the monster and the mysterious heroes, one of the heroes fell in love with a girl. Initially, they didn't get along but as they gradually became close, he began to take her to the outskirts of town to a field with a sea of Lunar Flowers" I said.

"Is this that field?" The girl asked in awe.

I nodded.

"The field was at the outskirts of town? It almost makes it sound like their love was forbidden" the girl said as she inhaled the scent of the Lunar Flowers.

"ACCK!" I exclaimed to myself. "This girl sure knows how to enforce trauma" I laughed nervously.

Then I began to speak.

"Actually, you're right. You could think of the girl as a soldier and the hero as a target of assassination" I said.

"It was that serious? Are you sure you're not just teasing me?" She laughed.

"Maybe I am. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that even though this field was at the outskirts of town then, to those two, the moon didn't hold a symbol of terror. To them, it was a symbol of longing" I said.

"Longing? What for?" She asked.

"For a home" I said with a smile.

The girl stared at me in surprise and turned away. It appeared she was smiling to herself and didn't want me to see it.

"After the defeat of the monster and the disappearance of the heroes, people began to plant more and more Lunar Flowers here. Then some people came up with the crazy idea to mix the Lunar Flowers with patches of Sunflowers and eventually, this field became a field of Sun and Lunar Flowers. At the same time, the restoration of Dream City commenced and Dream City began to expand until the field which was once at the outskirts of Dream City somehow found itself inside Central Dream City" I explained.

The girl seemed happy.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Ciella Solstice" the girl said.

I stared at her in surprise.

"Let me guess, Ciella for 'Sky' and Solstice for the two times of the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky determining the length of the day?" I asked.

She laughed.

"You sure know a lot. My parents often said when one looks out towards the horizon, the Sky and the Sea become one thus the Sea becomes an extension of the Sky. Concerning our family name, Solstice for my family simply means 'Choice'. In other words, you decide the person you want to be" Ciella explained.

"It's a beautiful name" I said with a smile. In my head, I thought "This is beginning to turn out to be a fated encounter. I'd best be making my escape soon".

"So what's your name?" She asked.

"Eh? Me?" I pointed to myself with a surprised look on my face.

She nodded.

"You cheered me up and cleared my doubts. I would at least like to know your name" Ciella said.

I turned away and smirked.

"She asked the perfect question. Once I tell her my name, she'll run for cover" I said and turned to her.

"My name is Sanziri Nightbane" I introduced myself.

"I can't guess the meaning of your name" she said.

"Of course, it's a Dagara name. I come from a tribe of Ghanaians called the Dagara though I'm Japanese from my mother's side. Anyway, my name means...try not to be intimidated..." I said.

"I won't. I promise" Ciella said.

"Sanziri means 'Destroyer Of Lies' and Nightbane means 'He Who Curses The Darkness'. Put those two together and my name means 'The Destroyer Of Lies Who Curses The Darkness!'" I exclaimed.

Ciella giggled.

"Your name isn't scary. It's beautiful. If you are the 'Destroyer Of Lies' then your name means 'Truth' and if you curse the Darkness, it means 'Light'. Put those together and your name really means 'The Light Of Truth'" Ciella said.

"I never thought of it that way. I guess I should be more grateful to my parents for my name then" I said.

Ciella nodded.

"Anyway, it's about time we returned to Upper West Side Dream City" I said and returned to the park with Ciella.

"Goodnight Ciella" I waved.

"I hope we meet again" she said.

"If we do, I'm quite certain my tragedies will commence" I laughed nervously.

"Did you say something San?" Ciella asked.

"Nope, just talking to myself" I said with a nervous laugh as we parted ways.