A pair of figures entered the Carnival and briskly walked toward the north end of it. One was a teenage boy clad in a light suit of armor. He ran a hand through his white hair and looked at his companion: a girl about the same age with short pink hair and wearing a fine crimson dress. Both seemed somewhat oblivious to the sights and sounds around them, though the female occasionally pointed at someone she remembered.
They wandered into the maze of tents that compromised the Carnival folk's homes. A few people bustled about the area doing their daily jobs; however, most were busy entertaining with the Carnival proper.
In the middle of the tent labyrinth, the pair found a small clearing with a few workers watching a strange sight. Jean, who was on a break from her usual exhibitions, appeared to be dancing with a small green dragon. The drake did its best to mimic her movements as agilely as he could without tripping or sprawling out on the grass.
The two figures stood still as they observed the spectacle. They stared first at Jean, then at the dragon.
Jean and Frye finished their dance and settled down on the ground. The other workers clapped a bit and then went on with their tasks elsewhere.
The duo approached them quickly as Jean rubbed Frye's head.
"Nice form, Frye. If you wanted to stay with us for awhile, I'm sure you'd make quite an act for our audiences," the dancer giggled as the drake turned to face the newcomers.
"Hiya Jean!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed as she stopped next to her.
Jean looked at the two people. The silent one (who was steadily watching Frye) was instantly recognizable as the human form of Nall, the White Dragon. The young woman who had spoken was unfamiliar... but her voice was unmistakable.
"Ruby! You actually learned how to do Nall's little trick finally... I think you look good as a human."
Ruby smiled.
"Yeah, Whitey finally decided to teach me... took him long enough didn't it?"
Nall stepped forward and went down on one knee in front of the young dragon.
"Who is your little friend here, Jean?"
Frye pulled back a second and sniffed Nall's outstretched hand. He smelt something very familiar and grinned. Ruby had the same scent around her.
Jean watched Frye become very relaxed in the presence of the two dragons of Althena.
"I'm not exactly sure. His name is Frye... but he doesn't seem able to speak like you guys do. He kinda just dropped out of the sky in a beam of white light and slammed into one of the tents."
Ruby played a bit with the little green dragon as Nall pondered.
Jean continued, "He doesn't seem to be one of Althena's dragons, but he resembles a smaller version of you two. Of course, what do I know about dragons... I'd expect you might know something about him."
"Aww... he's cute. I especially like the way he was copying your dancing, Jean," Ruby interrupted. "I don't know anything about a green dragon... ask the old man here."
Nall glared at her, then back at Frye.
"Well, uh, there aren't supposed to be any other dragons on Lunar..."
"But..."
Ruby was staring back at him.
"Ah, yes, but I do remember something from a dream I once had."
Jean and Ruby listened as Nall looked down at the ground.
"I once received a sort of 'message' in a dream from my father Quark... after he died I mean. He told me of another dragon on the Blue Star... a green one... which was very different from our kind."
He looked down at Frye and continued. The young drake was listening intently.
"This fifth dragon was indeed one of Althena's, but was meant to stay sleeping until a device of unspeakable evil was uncovered and revived on the Blue Star-"
"What device?" interrupted Ruby.
"A cruel dark sword... one with power far beyond that of Zophar... I'm surprised he didn't bother to look for it when he returned," Nall spoke. "This green dragon was meant to serve as a guardian along with Lucia's kind back on the Blue Star."
Jean put a hand on Frye's wing.
"Is Frye here the fifth dragon?"
Nall stared directly into the drake's eyes for a good five minutes before Ruby impatiently began tapping her foot.
"I... don't know... the last dragon was meant to be hidden from ALL perception. He certainly seems to be a dragon, not a wyvern or anything simple like that... but something seems very, well, incomplete about him."
"Incomplete?"
Frye growled a bit as Ruby interrupted yet again.
"Is there anyone who could shed more light on this matter?"
Nall thought a bit and responded.
"Well, was anyone with him, Jean?"
The dancer shook her head.
"No... he looked like he was suddenly lonely though... as if he was just stripped of his family or friends..."
"Hmm... if there were, I'm sure they could answer a few questions. I guess we'll just have to go see the really old man," Nall replied.
Ruby sighed angrily as Jean gave Nall an inquisitive look.
"The Star Dragon... he's been around the longest. Care to come?"
Jean looked down at her new little friend. She was very curious of his origin but he was so friendly that she didn't want to leave him alone. The dancer nodded.
At the entry gate of the Carnival, Jean met Giban again.
"Leaving AGAIN, Jean?"
She replied with a smirk, "Yes. Though I doubt this outing will be as long as the last ones. I'll be back as soon as possible."
The old carnival master nodded, "I'll say nothing more. Find out what you can about our little scaly friend and return when you're ready."
The dancer waved and walked into the wilderness with Nall, Ruby and Frye. When they were a good distance away, the former two transformed in a flash.
Two full sized white and red dragons now stood next to Jean.
"Let's get to his tower as quickly as possible... grab one of our necks and hold on, Jean!"
Frye promptly nudged Jean and lifted one of his wings. She was light enough to ride his back if she wanted. He motioned with his claw toward her back.
Jean grinned and straddled the drake's back. She gently cradled her arms around his long neck.
"I think I'll just ride him."
The three dragons flapped their wings and rose into the air, heading southwest.
A loud din of rapid pounding of metal on metal suddenly stopped. A group of Necro Knights and Fly-Boys stopped their work on a huge shadowy shape in the center of the room as a voice shouted from one of the doorways.
"Hey fellas! Something is flying over us!" a blue-outfitted Assassin was yelling to his companions.
The group of evil-doers ran off after him to the roof of the Haunted Mansion.
The ninja pointed to the blue skies as a small black silhouette soared rapidly past the mansion... to the east where their companions were digging.
"What do you suppose it was?" a knight asked the winged soldier to his right.
The reply was simply, "I have no idea... maybe its something the priests summoned."
They marched back inside and proceeded to continue 'repairing' the metal shape.
Less than five minutes later, the white robed figure had returned to oversee the new excavations taking place in the secret cavern. A priest at his side watched in wonder as their minions dragged a huge shadowy form out of the largest hole.
"To think that such a creation lay dormant for so long is amazing," the priest remarked.
The tall wizard nodded.
"There is much hidden on these worlds that was deliberately concealed from us. Your 'goddess' apparently didn't hide them as perfectly as she wanted to... the masters knew of such ruins that could be exploited as we are now doing."
"Master Ornah!! There is a visitor here requesting to see you!" a Flash Lord hurriedly announced from the entrance to the cave. "And sh.., ah, it may have the sword!"
The grim visaged wizard snapped his glare at the henchman, then back at the priests. He promptly floated over to the entryway, accompanied by one priest and Necro Knight.
Ornah grinned and thought to himself.
"This must be my lucky week... first the master's blood resurrects me... then the Dark Scimitar brings itself to us... all this and another attack on a village today."
The shadowy figure stood with its back toward the cave mouth. The dark sword was in its right hand, gleaming with crimson blood. Those Albino Baboons had followed their orders too well... how very stupid they could be when 'defend from all intruders' meant to stand there and be slaughtered for not moving out of the way.
"They'll all pay... my child... just accept my... spirit and embrace the power..." a regal and evil voice had preached.
The figure's ears twitched a bit as the wind blew its long mane of hair about. The bearer of one of the dark ones' blood was approaching...
Ornah, the priest and the two minions appeared at the secret room's opening. The Flash Lord whispered something into the mage's ear... perhaps a warning. He then motioned to the gorilla mess on the plains around them.
Without turning, the figure spoke in an evil tone.
"You kept the bearer of DarkStar waiting a long time, prime wizard of Baldour. Perhaps your deceased pets would give you an example of the fate of those who delay me."
The priest looked shaky. Ornah promptly shrugged it off and responded.
"I am sorry. Your arrival was not expected. We had no idea that the sword would come to us on its own... we thought it might have been hidden in these ruins-"
The figure held up its left hand, above which the shape of flaming bird now floated.
"Fine... what have you uncovered so far... the sword is not nearly close to fully awakening yet."
"Yes, yes. Come inside and see... ah..."
The shade turned and glared at him through red-irised eyes.
"Haranne...call me Mistress Haranne..."
The minions stared at the figure. It was a female harpy clad in dark armor. Her large feathered wings were spread at her sides as she cradled the Dark Scimitar in her clawed hands. Blond hair hung almost to her waist as she stood with her weight on the toes of her boots. The harpy's pointed ears jutted out of her mane as she quietly laughed to herself suddenly.
Ornah only motioned inside again.
"Mistress...please enter..."
The creature that had once been Jan strode into the cave, followed by the mage and company.
She stopped at the huge gray form that had just been cleaned off by the minions.
"Excellent...a fine Guardian D class...continue your excavations. There is much to be uncovered here...but I have discovered another site we should use...get together a group of your henchmen for another digging team."
"As you wish, mistress."
The harpy looked again at the massive form.
"The sword is not fully awake yet... but it may have enough power to reactivate this fine creation..."
Ornah thought to himself, "And enough power to possess minds apparently as well."
Somewhere in outer space within the Sol system...
A strange portal opened and a sleek black and orange metallic shape was spewed forth from it. The doorway, which seemed to lead into a multi-colored shifting mass of energy, promptly closed and vanished.
The object floated in space for a moment, unmoving.
"Astounding," an oddly mechanical voice noted. "I never expected that portal and transporter combined would make the trip go by so fast."
"Don't forget these three little Dimension Rings of mine... too bad they're almost shorted out now... we went so fast that I think we went back in time," a vile female voice responded.
"Computing... yes, I think we've gone back eight chap-" the first voice started.
The second interrupted, "Shhhh!!! Who knows if anyone is detecting or listening to us?! Anyway, we'd better hurry to the planets immediately."
"Affirmative," the first responded.
A set of engines whirred to life and erupted. The object soared off through the vacuums of space toward Lunar and the Blue Star.