EPISODE 18: A TALE OF FIRE AND WATER

PROLOGUE

"There are two kinds of sentient beings that exist within time…

Forces and Humans…

Forces are born as a result of the whim of the gods…

Humans are born as a result of the whim of the gods…

Forces obey the divine will of the gods…

Humans defy the divine will of the gods…

Forces have power…

Humans have freedom…

Needless to say, the two are very alike…

But at least humans have a choice…

You call yourself the Dreamweaver but that choice was made for you…

Even before you were born…

It was your destiny to defeat Zanfar…so that I would be reborn…

That was not your choice…

SO DREAMWEAVER, WEAVER OF DREAMS…

DO YOU HAVE THE POWER TO FACE…

THE WEAVER OF CALAMITY?!"

NINETEEN YEARS AGO…

It was the year 1993, the 31st of December in the timeline of the Human World; 'Naming Of The World's Enemy' in the timeline of Dreams. As you can imagine, that day was supposedly…my naming ceremony. There was celebration in the Nightmare Realm. My dad held me in his arms and raised me above all the Nightmares present to celebrate this ceremony. There were loud cheers. "DREAMWEAVER! DREAMWEAVER! LONG LIVE SANZIRI NIGHTBANE! LONG LIVE ARIEL BEATRICE NIGHTBANE!" loud cheers broke the air.

"This child will unite both realms and reveal the true purpose of Nightmares! His name shall be thus…" the Nightmare King called and turned to look at the Princess Of Dreams.

She nodded with a sad look on her face.

"To protect our son, we must keep his true purpose secret. His destiny must be hidden. And to hide his destiny…we must hide his true name. No one can know your true name my son, not yet. Not until you become strong enough to realize who you really are…" the Nightmare King thought.

"His name shall be thus…AYZAN NIGHTBANE!" the Nightmare King called.

There were loud cheers.

"I'm sorry my son. I have chosen a hard path for you but…I believe in you. Even if you are Zanfar reborn, I know you have the strength to choose for yourself who you want to be for you have human blood within your veins and something the original Zanfar did not have; a soul!" the Nightmare King declared.

Suddenly there were loud explosions around the castle as the Dream Knights attacked the castle walls.

"So he has decided to make his move huh?" the Nightmare King thought angrily.

"To think my own father would attack his daughter and grandson" the Princess of Dreams thought sadly.

"Don't worry Ariel. We knew this would happen sooner or later. Could you go get me my cape?" the Nightmare King asked her.

"The ones with bad words written behind them? Which would you prefer this time?" the Princess asked him.

"The one from the drawer I told you never to open. That was the cape I wore when I fought Ziri, the father of lies" the Nightmare King said.

The Princess nodded and ran to their bedroom. She opened the forbidden drawer and saw a cape that was as black as night on the outer part and red as blood on the inner part. On the black part was written the words…in red…

"Don't tell me…San, what are you thinking…?" the Princess shook her head in disapproval and raised the cape. She shook dust from it and the words glistened brightly… "Utterly Obliterate!"

The Princess returned to her husband and handed him his cape. He wore it proudly.

"My Dear, now I'm off to kill a few hundred people. If I'm not back for lunch, just assume I'm having a fun time wiping out the Dream Knights" the Nightmare King said with a slight trace of amusement in his voice.

"You are fundamentally twisted! Don't go killing people!" the Princess scolded him.

He smiled. Ryuuji and Saito approached them.

"Of course, I am the Nightmare King but I'm not Zanfar. Ryuuji, Saito…you know what to do. Ariel, I can leave it to you to make sure that our son makes it to the Human Realm can I not?" the Nightmare King asked her.

"Of course, I am not your wife for nothing you know?" the Princess pretended to be offended.

"My little Ayzan…this may be the last time I see you in a long time. My final wish is that when you're growing up…don't forget to inherit some of your dad's fundamentally twisted genes" the Nightmare king said.

The Princess knocked him on the head.

"Don't feed Zan with strange ideas San!" she yelled angrily.

The Nightmare King laughed as he handed me to my mom.

"I guess it's better for you to be more like your Mom Zan or she'll kill me" he said.

"You've got that right!" the Princess said with a playful laugh.

"Ariel…take care…" the Nightmare King said as he kissed her.

She seemed surprised at first but managed to embrace him.

"Um…my lord? You seem to be taking your sweet time, but while you're doing that…the Dream Knights are climbing the castle walls!" Ryuuji said worriedly.

"Don't ruin a romantic moment like this Ryuuji!" Saito scolded him and pulled his ears.

He screamed in pain.

"Well, there should be some boiling oil cauldrons on the walls. Why don't you just pour them on the Dream Knights or push their ladders down or something" the Nightmare King said indifferently.

The Princess of Dreams pinched his cheeks.

"I said don't go killing people!" she warned him.

"Oh sorry about that dear, I'm heading off now. Ryuuji, Saito, protect Ayzan and Ariel with your lives. I'll buy you some time…while I have some fun killing a few hundred people!" the Nightmare King said with a sinister laugh as he leapt from the Castle Balcony.

"I SAID DON'T KILL ANYONE SAN! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" the Princess called to him.

"Let's head to the Mirror Gate your highness!" Ryuuji said seriously.

The Princess nodded.

THREE HOURS LATER…

After many trials, two more Dream Knights decided to aid my mom. They were Aileen Atlas and Fenrir Sabrefang! The five of them now stood before the Eternal Mirror Gate.

The Princess of Dreams approached the gate cautiously.

"Eternal Mirror Gate! I plead with you, for the sake of humans and their dreams, open your radiant path and let my son into the world of men!" she pleaded.

The Mirror Gate responded and began to open slowly but when it was fully open, there was no light beyond it, only endless darkness!

"My time of awakening is almost at hand!" a dark sinister voice called from within the darkness as two evil red eyes appeared beyond the gate.

At that moment, I began to cry. A dark hand stretched past the gate and tried to snatch me. The Princess stared at the hand in fear as it approached. She tried to run but she couldn't, and ended up falling to the ground.

"You fear me don't you…Princess Of Dreams. I have heard of you…one with unparalleled kindness; Kindness strong enough to rival my evil but…you are afraid. Surrender that child to me. Its body is mine as is its soul!" the voice demanded.

"You can't have my son…YOU WON'T HAVE MY SON!" the Princess roared as she held up a golden crucifix.

"That toy alone…is not enough to stop me! You underestimate me…Princess Of Dreams" the evil voice said.

"I know it may not be enough to stop you; after all…it was forged by human hands but…do you know why I am respected even amongst Nightmares? Though San, the Nightmare King loves me and can protect me…I wouldn't be the Queen Of Nightmares if I didn't know how to hold my own fort" the Princess Of Dreams said.

"I care not for anything you could speak to me about Dream Of Humans. Hand over that child or die!" the sinister voice threatened.

The Princess took in a deep breath.

"The reason I am feared as Queen Of Nightmares is because of my ability to suppress any Nightmare regardless of how terrifying or powerful it may be…and that includes you. Initiating a chain of fatal verses! Phase 1: Act Of Faith. From the Declarations Of John; the first verse of the first chapter! In the beginning was the word…and the word was with God…and the word was God!" the Princess declared as a light began to shine from within her.

"What is this?!" the sinister voice exclaimed in surprise.

"Phase 2: Initiating The Ultimate Shield; The Proverbs Of Solomon The Wise; The tenth verse of the eighteenth chapter! The name of the Lord is a fortified Tower, the Righteous run into it and are saved!" the Princess roared as the image of a Seraph appeared around her, shielding her.

Zanfar's hand was dispelled.

"I see. So the people of this day still rely on the power of God. And I thought the time had come for a generation of unbelievers…I cannot harm you or that child however…your friends do not seem to possess the same faith in the god you draw your power from!" Zanfar called as he reached out his hand and engulfed Saito in his flaming grasp.

"SAITO!" Ryuuji screamed and charged towards the Gate to attack Zanfar.

"DON'T BE RECKLESS RYUUJI!" the Princess roared.

Ryuuji froze in his tracks.

"There is only one way to defeat darkness…and that is…to overshadow it with light! I will attack now…" the Princess said as she approached the Gate.

"QUEEN ARIEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Saito struggled to say.

"There is only one way to defeat darkness and that is…TO OVERSHADOW IT WITH LIGHT! THE REVELATIONS OF JOHN, THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER! CALLING ON THE POWER OF VERSES 14 THROUGH 16! THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN FOLLOWED HIM, RIDING ON WHITE HORSES AND CLOTHED IN PURE WHITE LINEN! OUT OF HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP SWORD, WITH WHICH HE WILL DEFEAT THE NATIONS. HE WILL RULE OVER THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON…" the Princess called as the Light around her began to form a sharp double-edged sword.

With the sword, the Princess drove Zanfar back into the Gate while approaching it herself.

"YOU FOOL! WALK INTO THIS GATE AND MY CONSCIOUSNESS WILL CONSUME YOU!!!" Zanfar roared angrily.

"I know that…however, I also know that your evil will be defeated by my son and I will be freed once again! 'AND HE WILL TRAMPLE OUT THE WINE IN THE WINEPRESS OF THE FURIOUS ANGER OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD! ON HIS ROBE AND ON HIS THIGH WAS WRITTEN THE NAME: "THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!!!"' THIS IS IT FOR YOU ZANFAR! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MANIFEST IN THIS WORLD…AT THIS TIME! I WILL USE ALL MY KINDNESS! ALL MY PURITY…TO PUSH YOUR EVIL BACK!!!" the Princess roared as the Sword pursued Zanfar into the Darkness Of the Gate.

And the Princess walked in, tearing a hole through the darkness and casting her son through it…only to end up being absorbed by the darkness herself. The Gate shut behind her.

Saito was released. Ryuuji and the other knights ran to her side. She had lost consciousness.

A FEW HOURS LATER…

The Nightmare King heard of the news of his wife's sacrifice.

"ARIEEEEEEEEEL!!!" he screamed in pain while trying to keep the madness of his grief from consuming him.

FIVE DAYS LATER…IN THE HUMAN REALM…

Wanye was taking a walk down the slummy streets of East Side Dream City when he tripped and fell. He noticed the sky glowing with seven colours and then before he could react…a heavy load fell on him…me, fresh from the Dream World.

IN A HOSPITAL IN UPPER WEST SIDE DREAM CITY…

Saito was in a coma and was on life support. Ryuuji sat beside her feeling miserable and blaming himself for the perilous state his fiancée was in. Suddenly, the Nightmare King appeared in the ward. Time seemed to have frozen as he approached Ryuuji.

"She was cursed by Zanfar wasn't she?" the Nightmare King asked him.

"It was my fault! If only I had been stronger, I could have protected your wife and the woman I love! I would understand if you wish to kill me now" Ryuuji blamed himself.

"There is no way to undo her curse Ryuuji. Saito will die…that is inevitable" the Nightmare King said.

"Says the man who decided to have a child with the power to destroy dreams and reality. You believe in the power to choose destiny more than anyone I've ever known so don't give me that crap!" Ryuuji roared.

"Heh! Well…even if we know the death…or fate of the ones we love are inevitable…it is not in our nature to give up on them. That is what having a soul means" the Nightmare King said.

Ryuuji stared at him.

"You know…Ariel is the second person I've ever felt this way about. I never even thought it was possible for me to feel love after becoming the Nightmare King. Both girls I loved…were taken away by Zanfar" the Nightmare King said.

Ryuuji opened his eyes in shock.

"It seems like Zanfar has a strange fetish for killing love…it makes me sick that…he'd do what he did to me…to my friend!" the Nightmare King roared and punched the wall.

Ryuuji sighed.

"And I thought I was the only one feeling depressed" he said.

"Ryuuji…I can't save Saito's life but at best…I can postpone her death. If you let her die now, you can get over…" the Nightmare King was saying when Ryuuji cut him off.

"Don't say it! I know that already. If she dies now…I can get over it quicker than living while knowing that she could die any moment. I know that but...if she dies now…I won't be able to fulfil any of the promises I made to her. I don't want a future where the only things I have are memories of her. Such a future would be better off being crushed by Zanfar! It may be selfish but I want to spend more time with her. I want to make her happy while she is alive. I love her…isn't that what being human is?!" Ryuuji said as tears flowed down his eyes.

The Nightmare King smiled.

"If that is your wish I'll grant it…" he said as he walked to Saito's bed and placed a hand on her forehead. "I can't break Zanfar's curse but I can slow down the time it will take to consume her. The most I can give her judging from the strength of the curse is…ten years. As long as she doesn't push her physical limits too much…she should be able to live the full length of the time that I can give her" the Nightmare King said as he began to focus his energy into Saito.

"Ryuuji…I know after this, you will retire from my services to live a peaceful life with Saito; but make no mistake…a time will come when I will need you once more and at that time…I will appear before you" the Nightmare King said as his energy flashed fearfully.

When the force of his energy began to calm down, Saito looked healthier. She began to breathe normally.

"Until then…Ryuuji" the Nightmare King said as he disappeared just before Saito opened her eyes.

Saito looked up and saw her fiancé sitting beside her with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Don't make that face Ryuuji, I'm not dead yet" Saito joked.

"Thank God…" Ryuuji muttered as tears flowed down his face.

He approached Saito and hugged her.

"You're not hurt anywhere, are you? You're alright aren't you Saito?" Ryuuji said hysterically.

Saito smiled.

"Calm down stupid Ryuuji, I said I'm alright didn't I?" she pretended to be offended.

Ryuuji laughed and kissed her.

A WEEK LATER…

Ryuuji visited Saito every single day since her hospitalization. He kept bringing her fruits, drinks, flowers and fresh clothes. Sometimes, he'd sneak her out for a walk on the streets but not too far from the hospital. Finally, a week had passed and Saito was discharged from the hospital. Ryuuji helped her take her things to the car, then he drove her to her apartment and helped her settle down.

"You've been spoiling me a lot lately Ryuuji" Saito complained.

"Well what do you expect? I nearly lost you" Ryuuji said playfully.

"I love you Ryuuji" Saito said as she hugged him.

"I know. Hey Saito, I've got to take care of some business right now but…can I pick you up this evening? There's a special place I want to show you" Ryuuji said.

"Of course, I'll be waiting Ryuuji" Saito said.

Ryuuji kissed her on the cheek and left her apartment.

THE EVENING OF 14TH JANUARY, 1993 IN THE HUMAN REALM, DISAPPEARANCE OF THE DREAM KING, KEIRAN DAYMARE IN THE TIMELINE OF DREAMS…

Saito sat in her living room, waiting patiently for Ryuuji. She was clothed in her finest dress. She felt nervous though she couldn't quite understand why especially since Ryuuji was the one person she particularly knew she couldn't feel nervous around. As she sat on her couch thinking, she heard a knock on her door. She got up excitedly and quickly ran to the mirror to make sure she looked her best. Then she rushed to the door and opened it. At the other side of the door, stood Ryuuji; clothed in a nicely tailored suit.

She couldn't help laughing.

"Ryuuji in a suit! Now that's something I thought I'd never see!" she said.

"You know how much I despise formal wear. It keeps reminding me just how much of a prison high society is so I brought something…slightly different in case I begin to feel uncomfortable" Ryuuji said as he handed Saito a bag.

She hadn't noticed it before.

She took the bag and opened it.

"These are clothes aren't they?" Saito asked.

"I thought that would be obvious" Ryuuji said with a laugh.

"You call these…uh different but they're just weird. They don't happen to be cosplay costumes are they Ryuuji?" Saito asked with a funny look on her face.

"Uh-umm, to be accurate they are Ghanaian historical 'cosplay' costumes from one of their most beloved folk tales, which we know in Japan as Hajime no Olele (which by the way I Edwin Mwintome Bozie, who is a Ghanaian have never heard of until the year 2013 since they began to circulate in 2013). I personally had them crafted by the best Ghanaian weavers I could find and they were made to fit my specifications exactly" Ryuuji said with a laugh while trying to look important.

"Wow, having a lot of money sure is scary" she said with a funny expression on her face.

"Besides, it's necessary for one of the places I'm going to take you to" Ryuuji said.

Then he noticed the expectant look in Saito's eyes.

"By the way, Saito, did I forget to tell you how beautiful you look this evening?" he said.

"As a matter of fact, you did" Saito said angrily.

"Well then I won't tell you because I don't think any words in human language could describe how you look this evening but if I were to attempt, I'd say you look magniromicombisadiregalicious" Ryuuji said.

"Is that even a word Ryuuji?" Saito laughed at him.

"That's why I have money, I could have it added to the vocabulary of every language" Ryuuji said.

"I see. A rich man's nonsense is respected because of the money he has isn't it?" Saito said.

"And that's precisely why high society is such a pain. You're even complimented for your foolishness. It's no wonder you're the only one I can truly be myself around" Ryuuji said.

"For someone your age and social standing, you're quite a kid" Saito sighed.

"Who are you calling a kid?! We're the same age!" Ryuuji yelled.

"And that's precisely why I call you a kid. Only kids argue about stuff like that" Saito said.

"I'll wait for you here okay? Would you mind changing into that?" Ryuuji pointed at the bag.

"When this is all over Ryuuji, you'll be seeing the starlit sky for a week!" Saito threatened.

A few minutes later, Saito came out clothed in royal Ashanti Kente clothes. (Note: Kente is an elaborately woven cloth in Ghana. It's one of the Ashanti's traditional cloths and it is beautiful enough to be worn by royalty. The Ashanti are one of Ghana's most popular tribes and played a prominent role in Ghanaian history. They still exist in Ghana today and are one of its major tribes).

"Wow Saito! Now that's something you don't see every day!" Ryuuji exclaimed excitedly.

"I must say Ryuuji, you really outdid yourself this time" Saito seemed pleased.

"I'm going to be seeing this in my dreams for a lifetime!" Ryuuji said as he examined Saito closely.

"So with what words are you going to describe this?" Saito asked.

"EPIC! You look just like the heroine in Hajime no Olele!" Ryuuji said.

"Coming from you, that's a great compliment, thanks Ryuuji" Saito said.

"And what of you? What are you going to wear?" Saito asked.

Ryuuji laughed evilly.

"Hmm hmm hmm hmm!" He laughed as he removed a white powder like substance from his pocket and painted his face with patterns. Then he suddenly threw off his clothes.

Under his clothes, he wore a loincloth made from lion skin and many frightening looking ornaments.

"I'll be a fetish priest!" he exclaimed.

"IN YOUR DREAMS YOU IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN MY ROOM?! THAT'S GOING TO GIVE ME NIGHTMARES FOR A LIFETIME!" Saito screamed and punched Ryuuji.

He flew and crashed into the wall.

"Ouch! Guess that was not such a good idea" he muttered in pain.

Saito walked to him and helped him up.

"Here, I made something for you" Saito said as she handed him some clothes.

He stared at them and straightened them.

"Haori?!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I even had words written behind them like you'd always wanted" Saito said.

Ryuuji turned them and looked at the characters printed behind them.

"RAGING MAD DRAGON!", "FLAME LORD!" "TRAILBLAZING COMET!" were some of the words written behind them just to mention a few.

Ryuuji smiled.

"Thanks Saito, this is the first time I've had my own customized Haori!" Ryuuji exclaimed happily.

"I wonder just how you were raised Ryuuji" Saito said.

"Okay, listen up everyone! Saito wants to hear how I was raised, it's going to be a long story" Ryuuji said as he pulled out a whistle and blew it hard.

In an instant, five of his bodyguards appeared in Saito's apartment.

"Saito wants to hear of my childhood, so let's do that…" Ryuuji said.

In less than a moment, Saito's room had been transformed into a stage.

"About thirty years ago,

My father was a Dream Knight

His hair was already so bald

It reflected the sun's golden bright light

And everyone he met.

Had their eyes instantly melt,

Why? Because his bald head shone

More brightly than a sparkling golden belt!

So everyone ran away,

Screaming Sir you're bald as an egg

And his soldiers left him on the Bfield

Just like a pathetic stranded peg

What do you think happened next?

He met the deity Ryuuenjinn

Who blessed him with great and awesome powers!

And just like that he was reborn!

One day he met my pretty mother,

And said these cruel words to her,

Marry me you've got no choice

And just like that they were wed

But little did he know that.....................…..

Her family was cursed!!! (OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!)

Now skip skip skip skip skip,

I was born many long years later

At the age of two I had already learned

That my dad was an epic hater

Everything he said to me

Had to be answered with a strong "Yes Sir!"

It's either that or Ryuuji Kirisawa

You're going without dinner!

Ryuuji! Let's train "Yes Sir!"

Ryuuji! School Time! "Yes Sir!"

You have to shave your hair like mine

You hear me?!

Of course Yes Sir!

When you go to the Royal Washroom

My Bodyguards will be there,

You have fifteen minutes

To washroom yourself,

Do you hear me Son?!

Yes Sir!

My life was pretty tragic,

You can imagine how many GF's

I lost to that fumbling bald old man

Just 'cos I said "Yes Sir!"

And that was how my childhood

Was ruined by a string of Yes Sirs!

If I had Trailblazer long ago

I'd sucker punch him and say No Sir!"

Ryuuji rapped.

Saito had a funny expression on her face and then she burst into laughter.

"I don't even know how to react to that Ryuuji!" she laughed.

"You're supposed to feel sorry for me" Ryuuji said.

"With that kind of narration, who'd feel sorry for you?! Well, I do feel sorry for you but when you put it like that I can't stop laughing at how painful your childhood was. I definitely don't envy your wealth!" Saito laughed.

Ryuuji smiled.

"It's nice to see you so happy" he said.

"It's kinda hard to be depressed around you" Saito said with a smile.

A FEW MINUTES LATER…

Ryuuji and Saito sat in the Old Bolabird Cinema. Saito was in the Kente Ryuuji had presented to her but Ryuuji was forced to choose between the Haori and his suit since as Saito put it, "I wouldn't like to walk around the City with a dark and grotesque version of Tarzan following me wherever I went".

Ryuuji decided to settle for the Haori. As it turned out, a lot of Lower Dream City folk were present at the cinema and almost none of them wore cosplay costumes though a lot of them were clothed in garments from their native countries.

"Ryuuji, I don't see any cosplayers" Saito whispered.

"Darou? (You don't say…)" Ryuuji said with a weird look on his face.

"How will you get yourself out of this one Ryuuji?" Saito asked with a threatening glare.

"Well cosplay isn't particularly a part of Ghanaian culture but when they put on their native clothes, it's kinda like a Ghanaian historical cosplay so we actually fit in very well" Ryuuji said with a sheepish grin.

"You had this all planned out didn't you?" Saito asked.

"Ssshhh! The movie is about to start!" an angry viewer cautioned them.

"S-Sorry about that. We're really really sorry" Saito offered profuse apologies.

Soon enough, the movie started. A movie about supposedly the oldest man in existence, Olele. The plot of the movie centred around a mischievous boy whose destiny was to succeed a line of fetish priests. A destiny he was always trying to evade until the Devil himself shows up and curses him, trapping him within a dimension from which escape would be impossible. The fun part of the movie was that in order for Olele to escape, he'd have to aid many biblical figures while making sure the Devil did not discover his identity. Some things he did included, "turning on the bulb when God said 'let there be light', "waking God up on the seventh day during Lucifer's rebellion", "being a watchman in the Garden of Eden", "selling Noah timber to build the ark", "picking stones for David". In a humorous way, the creators of this movie tried to use Olele to fill certain 'historical' gaps in the Bible. Obviously, Olele never actually did any of these things.

(I must make that clear 'cos it's dangerous to tamper with biblical truth).

"A biblical parody huh?" Saito said with a bewildered expression on her face.

The kind of expression that said, "I definitely did not see that coming".

"Darou?" Ryuuji said with exactly the same expression on Saito's face.

However, the movie turned out to be an enjoyable experience for the both of them. After, the movie was over, Saito and Ryuuji stood outside the cinema talking.

"They definitely should turn that into an anime or game. Why don't you take that up as a challenge Ryuuji after all, your dream has always been to develop the greatest tech company in the field of entertainment. There is bright future for the gaming and animation industries from what I can see" Saito said.

Ryuuji suddenly opened his eyes,

"GAH!"

as realization hit him.

"You're absolutely right! Why didn't I think of that before?!" Ryuuji exclaimed in shock.

Saito sighed.

"Don't tell me you only just considered that possibility right now. What have you been developing Ryuuji, honestly" Saito sighed.

"Well right now, my company works along the lines of tactical munitions development" Ryuuji said seriously.

"So in other words, you develop weapons of mass destruction for brutal, violent, greedy, defiant demon-like bastards who care nothing for their fellow man and wish to monopolize the world? That's no different from making weapons for Zanfar himself" Saito said.

"I know…but my family has survived on that for decades…" Ryuuji said with a depressed look on his face.

"I reminded you of something unpleasant, didn't I?" Saito asked.

"Well, it's all for the best! It's all part of my super ultimate two fold plan to defeat Zanfar for good!" Ryuuji said with a laugh.

"And what might that plan be Ryuuji?" Saito asked him.

"It's very complicated Saito, I don't think you'll understand" Ryuuji said.

"Try me" Saito challenged.

"First, I sell the weapons to greedy demon-like bastards who use the weapons to wage war. This will cause Zanfar to grow strong enough to break the Mirror Gate. Because of this, people will be tempted to use the weapons against Zanfar and all the demon-like bastards will willingly march to the front-line where Zanfar will toast them with a single breath, destroying the weapons and the greedy bastards and making himself weak. Then we Dream Knights step in and eliminate the weakened Zanfar and earth becomes a utopia because all the demon-like bastards who care nothing for their fellow man will be wiped out! Mwahahahahaha!" Ryuuji laughed proudly.

"Wow, you sorely underestimate human cowardice. That makes you far worse than the demon-like bastards and more like Zanfar! Besides that plan is way too simple! Sheesh Ryuuji, I've definitely got to hand it to you. Among simpletons, you are in a class of your own making" Saito said.

Ryuuji laughed. "I actually think it's a pretty solid plan" he said.

Almost immediately after he had said that, it began to drizzle as the temperature rapidly began to drop.

Ryuuji and Saito quickly ran into one of the many fast food joints for shelter.

"And that's the third thing I definitely did not see coming this evening" Saito said as they sat at a table.

"And what was the first?" Ryuuji asked.

"You in a loincloth. I'm definitely going to be having nightmares about that for a very long time" Saito said with a suspicious glare.

"Heheh! Sorry about that. I think I overdid it with that one" Ryuuji laughed.

As they sat conversing happily, a man in humble looking clothes walked past them. He was carrying a load in his arms, wrapped in a heavy blanket.

Saito noticed the man and motioned to Ryuuji to take a look at him. He was of African descent. He hurried to the counter and ordered for some cow milk. The waitress kept telling him that he would have to go to a grocery store but he insisted that it would be too expensive and they kept arguing. Ryuuji thought he might pull out a gun any moment but he finally gave up and walked away.

"Let's follow him Ryuuji. Something about him seems a little…off" Saito said.

"In our line of work, everything is always off. He's just someone struggling to make it in life. I don't think it's right for us to follow him like he's some criminal" Ryuuji said.

"I'm pretty sure he was carrying a baby in his arms. I find that a little suspicious" Saito said.

"Lemme guess, you think it might be Ayzan don't you?" Ryuuji asked.

Saito looked at him seriously.

"Crap, she has that 'Mom' look on her face! There's no convincing her now" Ryuuji thought. Aloud he said, "You really do think that man has Ayzan don't you?"

Saito nodded.

"Well then, I think it is our duty to see what kind of guardian Ayzan has don't you?" Ryuuji smiled.

"Ryuuji" Saito said as she returned his smile.

Ryuuji got up and walked to her chair, then he helped her up and they followed the man's trail.

The man rushed through the streets, trying as much as possible to keep out of the rain. Saito and Ryuuji kept their distance as they followed him. He walked into many different shops but each time he entered one, Saito and Ryuuji would hear arguments break out until he came running out.

"It's sad isn't it? It's already almost two weeks after Christmas and people have already returned to being selfish" Saito said.

"Let's go help him" Ryuuji suggested.

"But we don't know how he'll react" Saito said.

"Probably, but I don't want to go to bed remembering the pathetic look on your face right now and I definitely don't want this to turn into an obsession so let's just find out what you need to know" Ryuuji said.

Saito smiled and they approached the man.

"Excuse me sir" Ryuuji called.

The man turned to look at them. When he had completely turned, they saw his face. He had dark brown eyes and his hair was completely silvery. At least, that appeared to be the true colour of his hair but now it just looked dirty and unkempt.

Saito and Ryuuji had surprised expressions on their faces.

"Uh-uh-um" they kept stammering.

"W-We…uh, it looked like you needed some help so we just wanted to ask how we could help" Ryuuji said.

Saito was completely speechless.

"But it looks more like you are the ones that need help. You look so frightened. Don't be so scared, I won't bite" the man said.

His voice was so kind and gentle, Saito immediately felt guilty for being suspicious of him.

"Is that a baby in your arms?" she asked.

"This child?" the man said as he parted the blankets to reveal the baby.

He was a boy, dark in complexion and looking slightly dirty now but Saito recognized him right away.

"Ayzan?!" she exclaimed in joy.

"Ayzan? That's a little weird. Do you know this child?" the man asked.

"We don't" Ryuuji quickly cut in.

"I found him on the 31st of December. I wonder how his parents could have been cruel enough to abandon him. I wish I could say that, except for the fact that he fell from the sky so there are possibly two explanations in my mind. Explanation one, his parents were wicked enough to throw him from a plane or helicopter but that would be really inhuman. Not even the cruellest people could harm a child like this one, he's so cute" the man said.

(You don't say).

"And explanation two?" Ryuuji asked.

"Explanation two is, he's probably an angel sent to save mankind in a time of great distress that will be approaching soon" the man said.

"Haha, he's even closer to the mark than I'd have imagined" Ryuuji laughed to himself.

"So what's his name, my fiancée here has a weird habit of just calling up random names whenever she sees a baby" Ryuuji said as he rubbed Saito's hair.

She pushed him away, a little irritated by his behaviour.

"Well this time, she nearly hit the mark. His name is Zan. I won't give him my surname officially though, but it's a name he will have although he might not remember me calling him by it until he's much older. The name Zan is the Dagaare word for 'Dream.' My surname is Mwinwule which is the Dagaare word for 'God shows the way' and my first name is Wanye which means, 'Come and See'. It's weird but with all the weird things that have happened this particular Christmas season, my name is beginning to make some strange sort of sense" the man said.

"How, may I ask?" Ryuuji asked politely.

"How?! It's Christmas for crying out loud! Don't you folks ever read the Bible?! 'Come and see' is an expression Jesus and the angels that announced his birth often used. And 'God shows the way' is similar to the purpose Jesus came to fulfil. I'm telling you, this child is a sign from the heavens!" Wanye said.

"Now that you mention it, I do notice the parallelisms between all of this and the birth of Jesus" Ryuuji said.

"So why did you name him Zan?" Saito asked expectantly.

"Because there was this piece of paper with the single word 'Dream' written on it" Wanye said as he showed them the paper.

"That it?! That's kinda a let-down!" Saito screamed.

"Saito, don't yell at the nice man" Ryuuji said.

"Ryuuji, now's definitely not the right time to get smart-mouthed with me!" Saito threatened.

"That's not the only reason. I named him 'Dream' because it is my 'hope' that he will 'save the dreams of mankind'" the man said.

"Do you two have any kids?" the man suddenly asked.

"No, no! Do we look like we're married? Half the time, we're mad at each other. Ryuuji is such a kid!" Saito said.

"And Saito's quite the boring adult" Ryuuji said.

Saito growled at him.

"But I can tell that you really love each other. One of my dreams will be for Zan to meet your children in the future" the man said with a smile. "If you really love each other, why don't you tie the knot? Life's much shorter than we can imagine and I don't want you to finally come to the realization that you wasted the time you had having senseless arguments. The worst thing that could possibly happen to any person is realizing your love for another only after you've lost that person forever" the man said.

Ryuuji smiled and pulled Saito close to him.

"I'll keep that in mind sir! Do you have a bank account?" Ryuuji suddenly asked.

"Why would you suddenly ask a stranger that?! You'll make us look like criminals!" Saito scolded him.

"I do have a bank account and its number is..........." the man said.

(He really did tell them the number but I'm not telling you what it is).

"I'll send you some money. Invest in that child's education and live a better life. Happy New Year sir!" Ryuuji saluted.

The man smiled.

"I'll tell you this Ryuuji, the guardian of my clan will never forget your kindness and one day, he will come to your aid" the man said.

"And here's a little something for milk and another something for a fridge and an apartment. Depending on how you use it, the money I'll be sending to you should last you fifteen years. Enough time for you to get a stable job and support yourself" Ryuuji said.

"I'll accept your kindness. Now, it's time to take my leave but before I go, I'll bless you with a little gift. It's a song passed down through generations of just one clan in the entire Dagaare tribe. (Don't go looking for facts in fiction! You won't find any evidence!) We only sing it to pure kind souls in need of happiness and once sang; it transcends generations. Listen to it carefully for it was taught to my ancestor, the great Sanziri who defeated an evil demon called Nimfar when it transformed into a huge beast to terrorize our village;

"Water and Fire, elements two,

Born from both, elements true,

Trapped in darkness Light will lose,

Together with darkness, light will fuse"

The man sang. Ryuuji and Saito were terrified by the words of the song but not just the words. The melody had a strange power in it. It had a mixture of many different musical cultures and it kept transforming as the man sang it, yet, it was never discordant.

"The song is frightening. Please, we don't think we can handle hearing it" Saito said as she shivered.

The fact that the man was singing particularly about water and fire terrified them even more.

"That is the first part. A song of Despair which's deepest meaning recounts the story of the birth of Dreams and Reality and an evil entity known as Zanfar. The second part speaks of a future hope which I will sing to you now.

"Fire then will turn into flame

And reveal to Light its Holy Name,

Purified by flame, the sun will rise

And cleansed by water they'll reach the skies"

The man sang.

In Dagaare, it's sang thus;

"Quon, ne Vung, aboma ayi, (Water and Fire, two things

Anla adog, yiel ming£, These gave birth to truth

Yiel ming£ nambe lige puo Truth was cloaked in darkness

Kyaano ne Lige, wa ii£ bong-iien. Light and darkness fused)

Vung wa tai, fang ne suri yaga, (Fire, then greatly angered)

A yiel qo Kyaano, o yuor Namwin nan qo o, (Told light the name God gave him)

A vung v£ng£ la, ka Kyaano vi£l£, (Fire then made light attractive)

Ka quon ming a pegr aboma ayi ama, (And water washed them both)

Quon ming a pegr Kyaano ne Vung (Water washed Light and Fire)

Ka iagr do, a tin-vila puo." (And they flew to the Heavens).

(That's the literal translation to the Dagaare version).

"Come on and sing it with me!" Wanye beckoned to them.

"We don't think we can sing that. It's a beautiful song but the melody is quite complicated" Ryuuji said.

"You haven't tried to sing it" Wanye said.

"If you insist" Ryuuji said.

"We'll sing in English first and then we'll sing it in Dagaare" Wanye said.

"We don't even remember the words" Saito said.

"You'll be surprised" Wanye said with a smile.

"Water and Fire, elements two,

Born from both, elements true,

Trapped in Darkness, Light will lose,

Together with Darkness, Light will fuse,

Fire then, will turn into flame

And reveal to Light, its Holy name.

Purified by fire, the sun will rise

And cleansed by water, they'll reach the skies.

"Quon, ne Vung, aboma ayi, (Water and Fire, two things

Anla adog, yiel ming£, These gave birth to truth

Yiel ming£ nambe lige puo, Truth was cloaked in darkness

Kyaano ne Lige, wa ii£ bong-iien. Light and darkness fused)

Vung wa tai, fang ne suri yaga, (Fire, then greatly angered

A yiel qo Kyaano, o yuor Namwin nan qo o, Told light the name God gave him

A vung v£ng£ la, ka Kyaano vi£l£, Fire then made light attractive

Ka quon ming a pegr aboma ayi ama, And water washed them both

Quon ming a pegr Kyaano ne Vung Water washed Light and Fire

Ka iagr do, a tin- vila puo." And they flew to the Heavens).

Saito and Ryuuji sang the entire song, surprised themselves how they knew the words both in English and Dagaare.

"We actually sang it" Ryuuji said.

"Recall the meaning of those words, because I can see them being fulfilled in your future" the man said and walked away.

Saito and Ryuuji stared at one another in bewilderment.

"And that's the fourth thing you definitely did not see coming this evening" Ryuuji whispered.

"Darou?" Saito said with a look you'll soon be seeing in this book soon enough.

THREE HOURS LATER…

Saito and Ryuuji sat on a mountain overlooking all of Dream City.

"It's funny isn't it Ryuuji?" Saito said.

"That this city is called Dream City when its people are not even aware of how close it is to their Dreams and Nightmares? Sure it's a laugh" Ryuuji said.

"What I meant was…it's mysterious. When that man told us how his name is finally beginning to make sense, I thought, what if…what if…names are tied to the destinies of their owners?" Saito said.

"Hmmph! That would mean our parents would have control over our destinies! If that were the case, my dad would have probably named me 'Hage!'(Baldie) Don't even suggest that Saito, it's a scary thought. I recently even heard of a man naming his sister's twins Denise and Denephew! Saito, if that were a truth, I'd suggest the person who discovered it should die as soon as possible with that secret, and then I'd cremate him with Ryuuenjinn's flames so that not a speck of him would be left" Ryuuji said.

Saito laughed.

"Sometimes you make me so angry" Saito said.

"Sai-to, not again" Ryuuji looked downhearted.

"But most of the time, you make me really happy" Saito said as she punched him on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Your jab has become much stronger" Ryuuji teased. "Well, at least, I can come out with it now" Ryuuji said almost silently.

"Did you say something Ryuuji?" Saito asked.

"Saito, will you marry me?" Ryuuji suddenly said.

Saito was dumbfounded.

"D-Did you just…propose Ryuuji?" Saito asked.

"Yes, and I'm really serious. I can't imagine myself spending my life with anyone else but you Saito" Ryuuji said.

"Did something happen, Ryuuji?" Saito asked.

"You're a Dream Knight Saito and lying would be an insult to your honour. If I'm marrying you, I'd like it to be a marriage without lies…even if the truth would be too much to bear…" Ryuuji said.

"What are you saying Ryuuji, you're scaring me" Saito said.

"You were cursed by Zanfar, Saito. The Nightmare King slowed the curse's progression but you have about ten more years to live" Ryuuji dropped the bomb.

Saito looked confused and sad.

"I'm not doing this to pressure you into marriage but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of losing you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you" Ryuuji said.

"You mean you want to spend the rest of my life with me. It's my life that has been shortened" Saito said as tears began to stream down her eyes.

"I…you mean everything to me Saito" Ryuuji said.

"I know Ryuuji, I know. I'm glad you told me…but…it's still painful to learn just two weeks after Christmas that…you're going to die. I had so many plans for the future. Seeing my children get married was one of them, arguing with their husbands and threatening them to make sure they were happy was another and here I am, not yet with a child and I just have ten years to live. I won't even get to see my eldest child enter high school" Saito said.

Ryuuji tried to hold back his tears but he couldn't.

"To me, you're not a dead woman walking Saito. It may have been preordained but I believe in miracles Saito. I believe you will get to see our kids get married. I just know it!" Ryuuji declared.

"The power of life and death is not in your hands Ryuuji" Saito said.

"I know it's not…but it's definitely not in Zanfar's. I won't let him take you away from me, I promise!" Ryuuji swore.

"It's a promise you won't be able to keep Ryuuji!" Saito declared.

"It is a promise I will keep. I hear the God Christians serve doesn't wish for a single soul to be lost. If that's true God, then I make this vow, if…Saito lives to see all our kids get married, I will become a Christian for life and guide my children to believe in you, however, if she doesn't live long enough to see their children, I will never believe in you, not even if the entire world were to convert. You'll have to deal with losing my soul!" Ryuuji swore.

"Don't make a vow like that Ryuuji!" Saito scolded him.

"I won't change my mind!" Ryuuji declared adamantly.

"Blackmailing God, you sure have some stupid amount of courage Ryuuji" Saito said.

"Heh, that's the only hope I need, the assurance that you'll live" Ryuuji said.

"Then again, only you would be that stupid" Saito said.

"Darou?" Ryuuji laughed.

"I'll marry you Ryuuji. It was also one of my dreams" Saito said.

"And it's about to become a reality" Ryuuji said as he kissed Saito.

Time seemed to have frozen for those two. The skies, the stars, the trees, the mountain and the lights of Dream City witnessed that beautiful moment.

The couple journeyed to Japan to break the news to their families and there in Japan, they were wed.

Three months later, Saito was confirmed to be pregnant. (Well, that was quick!) As time progressed, it came to light that she was carrying twin girls in her womb and a year later, when the girls, were born, the sun shone with great brilliance and sweltering heat, yet in that intense heat, it rained heavily and a beautiful rainbow formed in the sky for the whole day. Ryuuji and Saito watched the rain from the hospital window.

"Water, Fire and Light; at the birth of our daughters, these three elements became one, almost like the words of the song that man sang" Saito said with a deep look in her eyes.

"Do you want to sing it?" Ryuuji asked.

Saito nodded and they began to sing.

"Water and Fire, elements two,

Born from both, elements true,

Trapped in Darkness, Light will lose,

Together with Darkness, Light will fuse,

Fire then, will turn into flame

And reveal to Light, its Holy name.

Purified by fire, the sun will rise

And cleansed by water, they'll reach the skies.

"Quon, ne Vung, aboma ayi, (Water and Fire, two things

Anla adog, yiel ming£, These gave birth to truth

Yiel ming£ nambe lige puo, Truth was cloaked in darkness

Kyaano ne Lige, wa ii£ bong-iien. Light and darkness fused)

Vung wa tai, fang ne suri yaga, (Fire, then greatly angered

A yiel qo Kyaano, o yuor Namwin nan qo o, Told light the name God gave him

A vung v£ng£ la, ka Kyaano vi£l£, Fire then made light attractive

Ka quon ming a pegr aboma ayi ama, And water washed them both

Quon ming a pegr Kyaano ne Vung Water washed Light and Fire

Ka iagr do, a tin- vila puo." And they flew to the Heavens).