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The Guardian Dragon Chronicles

Awakening

"Kardonyth, Acorech, Calic, Alakin. Can you hear me?" Cid asked.

The four became paralyzed by overwhelming surprise.

"Cid!?" Kardonyth questioned. "I- We thought you were dead! Kara was lying, then."

"I am dead," Cid responded. "I am siphoning energy in order to communicate. There isn't much time. You have to use the Dragon Key now!"

"What for?" Kardonyth asked. "We are forbidden from using it, period!"

"You were forbidden by the voice that spoke to you when you initially awoke. I was that voice. Now, I un-forbid you!" Cid replied.

"No. No way," Calic blurted. "That was centuries ago. You also sound nothing like him."

"I_disguised_ my voice. I thought that should I ever appear, I should make sure that I would not be recognized," Cid replied.

"Tell us that all this is a joke," Acorech commanded.

"No," Kardonyth said. "Now, it makes perfect sense! I should have realized it sooner. The way both of them talk, the way they know everything, and have an answer for everything, they are one and the same!"

"How could you?" Acorech asked. "You ignore us for hundreds of years, then come into our lives, for what?"

"YOU LYING BASTARD!!!" Kardonyth screamed. "I begged you to help me keep Crystal living, but you were _adamant_that there was no way anyone but us could escape mortality! What is your secret? How have _you_lived for hundreds of years!?"

"By siphoning energy- much like I am doing now," Cid answered.

"Siphoning energy from what?" Kardonyth asked.

"The source of existence," Cid answered.

"What do you mean 'the source of our existence!?'" Acorech inquired.

"We're not real people. We're consciousnesses co-existing in the dream of our host. This is a Collective Dream, also known as a 'Dreamscape,'" Cid responded.

"That does not make any sense!" Acorech exclaimed. "You are trying to tell us that none of this is real!? Sara is pregnant! _She_has to be real, right? Sara, Teri, Zade, Gaia, are none them real? Was everything that happened with Rak just part of this 'Collective Dream?'"

"How can a dream last for centuries?" Kardonyth asked.

"I think it is time you explained everything, Cid!" Acorech exclaimed.

"There's no time to explain!" Cid yelled.

"We had blindly followed everything you said. I think we deserve to know what the hell is going on here!" Acorech shouted.

"If you don't use the Dragon Key soon, everything you've ever done, even your very existence will amount to nothing!" Cid exclaimed.

"We are not doing _anything_until we know what exactly it is we have been doing this whole time! What is the purpose of this dream, and what is with all the secrets and lies!?" Kardonyth asked.

"Fine! I'll tell you all everything, but in return you must abstain from interrupting," Cid said.

"Fair enough," Acorech responded.

"In the real world, dragons are real- I mean, they're an actual race. However, their very existence is threatened. A war has been initiated by those who seek to bring about their extinction. Dragons have become the focus of prejudice and stereotype. Once upon a time, the Dragon Empire was dictated by the fierce and relentless Dragon Queen Tiamat. She elicited complete loyalty from her subjects through cruel domination. She held the belief that all that is good nature is weakness. In her mind, the characteristics she had was the strength required to rule. She gave birth to the Alpha Dragon Bahamut, and the Omega Dragon Shinryu. She managed to indoctrinate Bahamut, but Shinryu remained pure and benevolent. Her tyranny wasn't just upsetting the other races, it was upsetting the majority of the empire. The blue dragons of the South Clan, the white dragons of the East Clan, the red dragons of the West Clan, and the yellow dragons of the Northwest clan. At that time the north was populated by two clans, the other being the Northeast Clan. Their color was green- Tiamat's color. Shinryu sought to overthrow his mother, and recruited all but the Northeast Clan. It remained loyal to Tiamat, as did Bahamut, of course. A civil war raged across the world, but the rebellion's significantly superior numbers granted them a quick victory. In the end, every green dragon was exterminated. The yellow dragons became the sole inhabitants of the north. That is how the Northwest Clan became the North Clan. Shinryu abhors violence, but he deemed the conflict a necessary evil. Out of unconditional love, he spared the life of his twin, choosing instead to banish him. Shinryu reformed the empire, and became the Dragon King. Instead of staying in the northeast where Tiamat kept her residence, he built a new capital in the central continent. This capital is known as 'Dragonheart.' I know what you're thinking, and you're right. It's_not_ a coincidence. In the heart of Dragonheart, the palace known as Dragonheart Temple stands. This is where Shinryu resides. However, the Dragonheart Temple you know is merely a scaled-down fraction_of it's real counterpart. Bahamut is consumed by fury, hatred, vengeance. He has been undermining the peace and order that Shinryu has been trying to establish. Mimicking his brother, Bahamut won other dragons over to his cause. He corrupted them, and formed the 'Black Dragon Clan.' He views massacring humans as retribution for everything Shinryu has done. That is what the Black Dragon Clan has been doing. Unfortunately, people don't care to distinguish between them and peaceful dragons. People have been retaliating, slaying any and all dragons that they encounter. Some sympathize with the innocent, and have been working to save the dragons. Factions have risen up on both sides. The 'Dragon Clan' is a combination of the Dragon Warriors, A.K.A. Samurai, and the Dragon Priests, A.K.A. Ninjas. Their enemy are the Dragon Hunters, A.K.A. Dragoons. Dragoons have traveled all over the world recruiting and forming alliances. I am a Dragon Priest, and I have personally been working with Shinryu to bring about harmony. We conspired, with the Council's permission, to alter the Collective Unconscious. Humanity has been conditioned to fear the dragon race, and we devised a plan to undo that psychological blight. It was something that Shinryu would decide to do if worse came to worst. Rumors of war circulated constantly. We passionately hoped that things would not devolve that far, but alas the day came. The Dragon Hunters' massive army marched on Dragonheart. The Dragon Warriors were ordered to do nothing but defend. We had hoped that our pacifism would open the eyes of our assailants, but the number of casualties kept growing with no end in sight. Shinryu refused to let another war rage on, so he put our plan into motion. Shinryu and Bahamut are both ascendant beings. They are gods. _Our god put his life on the line to save the world. He put himself and the whole world to sleep, and pulled in people's consciousnesses into this dream of his creation- a replica of our world. Those with no place in this undertaking have had their consciousness suppressed, and have just been sleeping peacefully. Those are the Elves, the Dwarfs, the Mermaids, the Lycans, and the Dragons. We knew that including all dragons in our attempt to redeem their reputation would be counterintuitive since fear was prominent and pervasive. We knew that the best course of action would be to use only the top ranking dragon of each clan. Your souls are their souls. Shinryu later thought to include their human partners. He conceived the idea of the Guardian Dragons, reasoning that it would be beneficial if the heroes were an allegory of the unity of dragons and humans. Therefore, it was decided that the soul of Alakin would be combined with the body of Otis, the soul of Calic would be combined with the body of Gideon, the soul of Kardonyth would be combined with the body of Uriel, and the soul Acorech would be combined with the body of Korrus. That is your origin. A consciousness is the product of the connection of body and soul. The reason why the link you have is cyclic is because it is not permanent. You exist as long as this dream exists. Because Shinryu's priority is maintaining the dream, he has relatively little energy to allocate elsewhere. He is the one who maintains the link between body and soul. When this energy he has allocated has run out, he breaks the link to recharge that energy. That is the true nature of the cycles and renewing that you have been experiencing. Besides your unique situation, only one dragon's consciousness is in the Dreamscape and that is Bahamut's. As powerful as Bahamut is, Shinryu is unable to suppress his consciousness and therefore had no choice but to include it. Through our combined efforts, we've been putting forth energy to imprison him, but it has been mostly my energy. Most of my life in the Dreamscape has been nothing but maintaining the magical prison that holds him. As long I feed a good portion of energy into the containment periodically, I don't have to always be there. Now that I'm dead, however, Bahamut's consciousness will soon be free, and he will devastate the Collective Unconscious, undoing all the work that you have done. To put it bluntly, the sole purpose for your existence was to repair the minds of the people, and if he gets loose, your very existence and all that you have done will all be meaningless. At first, years went by in seconds, then minutes, eventually hours, hours turned into days, days into weeks until they went by in months. Now, the dream is happening in real time. Shinryu has been nearly drained of all his energy and the Rak situation expedited the process. I was hoping the dream would last as long as possible, I never thought that it would prematurely end. There are no Dragon Treasures. The Dragon Key is the key to Shinryu's consciousness. Opening the door will wake him up. You must do it before Bahamut is free!"

"I still have to know how Gaia factors in to all this!" Acorech exclaimed. "The implication of Rak 'expediting the process' is that Gaia is not part of the dream. You say this is a dream, but we have come and gone, likewise have Zade and Teri. How is it that Sara has existed here and is pregnant, no less?"

"It's simple. It's possible for people from the Dreamscape to interact with outside worlds. However, their constant need for a physical form siphons energy from the host. People entering the Dreamscape only enter with their consciousness. Thanks to Shinryu, their bodies are rendered invisible for the duration of their visit. In Sara's case, however, her body has been gracefully transported to Dragonheart Temple," Cid explained. "Teaching Kardonyth the spell to open portals was a precaution I hoped would not become necessary."

"So we will cease to exist, but what about everyone else who was born inside this dream? What about them? What will happen to Crystal!?" Kardonyth asked.

"Every dreamer will awaken, and those whose consciousness originates here will cease to be. It's not even guaranteed that we will have successfully altered the Collective Unconscious in the end. Hopefully we won't have any more trouble, but if it necessary... if necessary... Shinryu will sacrifice himself to create each and every person from the Dreamscape, minus you guys, of course. With a number far outnumbering the enemy's numbers vouching for us, we hope they will sway them if we alone cannot do it. Before you four first awoke, your consciousnesses were each tethered to a crystal ball. When a person dies in this dream, their consciousness is automatically tethered to any one of the four. It's not enough for people to witness your good deeds, but to witness your lives- that you face the same dramatic, emotional struggles of living as anyone else does. This emphasizes that we are all the same. I've also made sure that those who now bear witness can hear me as well, so they can make sense of this conversation after they wake up," Cid answered.

"So in reality, Sara's not pregnant?" Acorech inquired.

"No. She's not," Cid answered.

"Unbelievable!" Acorech cried. "WHY!? I asked you before, and now, I ask again. Why did you come into our lives after so long!? We cried out in frustration time and time again, and you ignored us! Were we only friendship material when it was convenient for you!?"

"It's not like that," Cid responded.

"Then why!?" Kardonyth yelled. "We trusted you, we believed in you, we opened ourselves up to you, and for what!?"

"If I showed myself during different time periods, you'd realize that I had everlasting life as well. If I ever had to make myself known, it would have to be during a time of great desperation. I could sense that a great evil unlike any before was developing, but I couldn't identify it. I decided to make a name for myself, and have you four seek me out, believing that it was your own idea to befriend me. Being your friend allowed me to ensure that you four could overcome the threat and stay on the path that was laid out for you. Sadly, not only was Rak a bigger threat than anticipated, but you four began to stray. Now that you know everything behind this Dreamscape, you should understand why I argued passionately with you before. Without you four, there is no salvation for the dragons, and I was doing everything in my power to increase the likelihood of altering the Collective Unconscious. I never intended to communicate as 'the voice' again because you had to do your thing while I did mine. I definitely had no intentions when 'the voice' began to be the target of anger and contempt. Believe me when I say I did feel guilty," Cid said.

"So if it was not for Rak, you never would have befriended us?" Kardonyth asked.

"That's correct," Cid answered.

"Unbelievable!" Kardonyth cried.

"We weren't actually friends to you, were we!?" Acorech questioned.

"Yes! Yes! YES!!! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!" Cid screamed. "I never had friends before. You four are my only friends!"

"_That_is why you do not know how to be a friend," Kardonyth spat. "No one lies to and manipulates their friends!"

"I was sworn to secrecy!" Cid cried. "Revealing the truth would compromise the integrity of this undertaking and put it in jeopardy! We've risked far too much! Shinryu has put his life on the line, and if I have to lose my only friends to save the world, then so be it! Please, for the love of all that is sacred, wake Shinryu before Bahamut is free!"

"If you can siphon energy continuously to talk to us, why can't you siphon enough to resurrect yourself?" Acorech asked.

"In this dream, the laws of nature cannot be broken. Keeping it as realistic as possible made sure people believed it was reality. I can't undo my death, but I can halt my transition to the 'afterlife' long enough to make sure that Shinryu awakens," Cid responded.

"What if, considering Dragonfang, we were to take down Bahamut's consciousness? " Acorech asked.

"Are you kidding me!? What part of 'god' did you not understand? The only weapons that are effective against a god are God Weapons. Dragonfang is a travesty, a cheap imitation of the God Weapon it was meant to parallel," Cid said.

"What are 'God Weapons?'" Acorech asked.

"They do not exist in the Dreamscape, so it does not matter!" Cid snapped.

"You were the one who brought them up!" Acorech responded.

"To make my point," Cid replied. "We should have been more considerate. We should have realized that you four would grow to desire to be your own selves. For all intents and purposes, you should have been from the start. Each of you is influenced to some degree by the host of the body you are using. They are more strong willed than anticipated- especially Korrus. Remember the initial struggle you had, Acorech? Korrus' will and subconscious desire to be a part of the Dreamscape caused interference. We really had to force his consciousness to be suppressed. You four want to keep living life as you will, but your lives were always meant to end. You want more time, but you were always living on borrowed time. Do not let selfishness jeopardize the life you have lived thus far. Do not stray again. Do not let desire keep you from the duty your lives were purposed for. You four are the Guardian Dragons. Your final task in fulfilling the life you are obligated to live is to guard the Collective Unconscious and the minds within. Use the Dragon Key, put your life on the line just as Shinryu has, help save the world."

"This feeling!? It can't be!" Alakin dropped to his knees.

"It has begun. The cycle is progressing at a rate that is accelerating and will continue to accelerate. It is not long before the link is broken, and this time it will not be repaired. If any of you needed further persuasion to put an end to the Dreamscape, this is it," Cid explained. "Now hurry to Dragonheart while you still have time!"

"Shouldn't we all be feeling the effect?" Kardonyth asked.

"It seems that you all will start feeling it at different times this time, possibly because Shinryu may actually be attempting to delay the breaking of your links. Do not worry about it, and worry about getting to Dragonheart to end the Dreamscape," Cid answered.

Without anything more to say, the Guardian Dragons departed for Dragonheart Temple, the heart of the world that they were in. Soon, the forbidden keyhole would be utilized, and the world would cease to be. The fly back was silent and somber as each Guardian Dragon reflected and reminisced.

Sara and Crystal both stood outside to greet the return of the heroes. As soon as Acorech returned to being human, he ran up to Sara, hugged her, and kissed her.

"What is wrong?" Sara asked.

"Where do I begin?" Acorech asked.

"Acorech, spare them the truth," Calic requested.

"What 'truth?'" Sara asked.

"There was no time before to explain, there is most definitely no time to explain now," Calic responded.

"They deserve to know," Acorech said.

"Know what!?" Sara asked.

Waxing pain filled Acorech's chest. He let go of Sara and grabbed it.

"What is going on!?" Sara asked.

"It will all be over soon," Calic replied.

"What will!?" Sara asked.

"Everything!" Kardonyth exclaimed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Crystal asked.

"The world is ending! Life as we know it is ending! In fact, _we_are ending!" Kardonyth shouted.

"How can that be?" Crystal asked.

"According to Cid who is dead, but technically still alive, this is all one big dream we are all sharing. The reason we exist in this dream is to make people stop hating Dragons in the real world. The real version of this world, I mean. Gaia is real. Sara has been dreaming ever since she left Gaia. She will wake up, but the rest of us will cease to exist. Cid left no room for doubt. What he has said is to be believed," Kardonyth explained.

"Well I refuse to believe it!" Sara shouted. "I refuse to believe that the whole year that I have spent here has been all for nothing! Please, Acorech, tell me it is not true! I am pregnant, damn it!"

"I know!" Acorech cried, slamming his fist against the ground. "I know! I know! I know! I know! I know! I KNOW!!!"

"But I guess, I am not really pregnant, after all," Sara replied. "Will I remember any of this?"

"It is hard to say," Acorech answered. "The Collective Unconscious is.... unpredictable, but considering your memories of the Rak incident... yeah, it is hard to say."

"The pregnancy may not ultimately be real, but the rest is. Just because this is a dream does not mean that everything has not been real. It is like your memories of Gaia. They may have been fake, but it all felt real to you. This all feels real to me. My mind may not remember, but I know my heart will. I may forget you, but I will always remember my love for you," Sara said.

"Kardonyth, before I met you, if someone had told me that my soul mate would be a Guardian Dragon, I would have thought that was impossible. Knowing that I was the one who stole your heart has brought me more joy than I have ever known- aside from actually being with you, of course. I love you no matter what," Crystal said.

"Do not make this... harder than it already is!" Calic said. It was obvious that he was also feeling pain.

"There is yet more to say," Kardonyth said. "If we are going to 'die,' we might as well eulogize. Well, what I am trying to say is that I know regret is not going to be a problem for much longer, but let's end on a high note. We have not been on the best of terms lately, and we should be before this is all over. I think we should wrap things up by saying everything that we want to say or need to say."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but we are basically out of time!" Calic responded.

"Then we will just have to keep this brief," Kardonyth grinned.

"Kardonyth-" Calic began.

"You guys are the most important people in my life. I know it has not seemed like it, but it is true. We have spent too much time together for it to not be true. Our bond may not be perfect, but it is deeper than any other bond we have had," Kardonyth said. "Calic, you asked me if I was satisfied with vengeance. Did it ease my pain? Yes. Did it bring me joy? No. I wish I could say that that was the first time I let you guys down. We all worked so hard to be the best that a Guardian Dragon could be, but I turned out to be the one with the longest way to go. I wish we did have more time so I could fix that. I am sorry."

"I would not trade any of you... for someone else. There is not enough time... to articulate what it means to me... to have you guys... as my fellow Guardian Dragons," Acorech said. "I am glad... that I sacrificed myself... for you all... when Rak ambushed us. I am proud... of the decision I made. I would do it all over again, and... I would not have any of you take my place."

"I am glad... that we all... made it to this point. We could... pick up the slack... if we had to, but we could not... move on. I know I could not, and I am sure... you all can say the same. Had one of us died, I do not think we could... come to terms with the loss," Alakin said. "I cannot say with certainty if... we would have... come to terms with the death of Cid, but I think... we would have eventually. I am sorry, Kardonyth, but... you said it yourself. We have a special bond... like no other. Cid was a good friend- as good as he could be, but... he was not one of us. Losing one of us would... cause irreparable damage. Not because of what we are, but because of who we are."

"Thank you, guys- for everything. We had our good times and bad times, but... it was fun. We ate together, we drank together, and sometimes... we fought together. We could count on each other- at least for the most part. I wish... things had gone better, but... at least things didn't go worse. If Shinryu woke up... naturally, then we would have been... going about our lives ignorant of the end. Everything would have been... over before we took the time... to make amends. Nothing like having no time to make us make time. I suppose it is good... that things are coming to an end... this way," Calic said. "I know we... should just get this over with, but... my final command is... everyone hug each other."

In a bittersweet exchange, everyone took turns embracing the others who were gathered there. Everyone made sure that no one was left un-hugged by them. Seeking extended closure, Sara and Crystal kissed their respective husbands one final time. They tried their best to not do it for too long, but made sure that it was not too short either.

"The time has come, Acorech, Kardonyth, Alakin. Let us not delay the inevitable any more than we already have." Calic said.

Kardonyth opened the palace doors, and the others followed him inside. Feelings of confusion and despair consumed everyone.

"A lot of memories were made here," Kardonyth stated.

"Hundreds... of years worth," Acorech replied.

Kardonyth took the Dragon Key out of his pocket, but then dropped it. It was at last his time to begin suffering the rending of what he had thought was his body and his soul. He had been holding the key to reality as they had known it. He was about to "kill" everyone for the sake of a reality he did not know. Having been handed back the key, he did something he never thought he would do. He took it, and put it in the lock that it was meant for. He paused to fully fathom what was happening, but the others made him continue. He turned the key, then opened the door. A bright light radiated from within the room. The light spoke.

"I am Shinryu. I sincerely thank you all for what you have done, the sacrifices that you have made. I will ensure that nothing will be in vain," it said.

As soon as that consolation concluded, the light vanished, and the whole world grew darker until the world was gone. No more sights, no more sounds, no more scents, no more anything.

To be continued...