Chapter 7: Dreularan Soil

It was early morning.

The massive red sun had risen in the sky, altering its dark green night shade to a full red kissed pink. Clouds dispersed thinly, making way for visitors.

The door of the Bunker crashed down into the forest with a heavy thud, contained only by the fact it was a door colliding with the soil and not a full facility. Slowly, it planted itself firmly, its stone structure materializing around the metal.

Inside, the Mystics family had gathered in the cafe. Crowded as it was, Takabi slipped between a couple kids and sat at the table by the staircase, to the right of the steps when descending. Kairas made his way down next, followed by Nana and Saiya, the trio taking seats next to him. He looked around, eyes scanning over the multiple heads, before he asked his twin, "Where's the others?"

"Somewhere. They came here before us."

Taking his words in mind, Takabi stood from his seat to get a better view, spotting Aqua's blue hair towards the table closest to the second floor balcony. Next to her was Mia and Frannie. Not too far off from them, Shine sat at the end of the table, her eyes locked on Frannie's face, though it seemed the blonde didn't pay her much attention.

Jewel sat across from Shine, next to her mother Rose, both covered in a thin layer of sweat that made them glow under the lights. The only two missing were Ariel and Raia.

Raia was a hermit, refusing to leave her room until she succeeded in her self assigned mission. The last time Takabi saw her was a week ago, after they took off from earth. She was dirty, and reeked of a foul smell, despite being in her room all day with a fully working shower. She was out of her mind, cursing loudly for an hour straight in anger and frustration. He chose to leave her be then, figuring there was no harm in her attempting resurrection if nothing came from it.

Garuga took his place at the railing on the second floor. All eyes fell on him, as well as silence filling the Bunker. He looked exhausted, as if he was struggling to stand even now. Takabi was worried, and even considered telling everyone to leave so he could lay Garuga down to let him rest. The Dragon was stubborn to the core in that regard, and would refuse no matter what.

He cleared his throat, and spoke loudly. "My friends, my family. We have arrived at the home of Dragons." He looked over his shoulder at Porrelth, smiling at his partner before returning his gaze. "We left this planet many years ago, before any of you were a concept in the universe, on a job to spread knowledge and gain resources. We were guardians who protected Dreulara from off world threats. Us returning means our job is almost finished, and this may be the last time we are allowed off Dreulara as such."

A wave of gasps filled the cafe. Takabi narrowed his eyes, clutching his pants tightly under the table. Nana looked down at his response, slowly moving her hand down and placing it on top of his. He snapped his eyes at her, the two sharing silent words, until he relaxed and looked back up at Garuga.

"This does not mean the end. Should we choose, we will continue to guide you all. The Bunker has become a home for us, and leaving you behind is something we would never consider. Right now, Porrelth and I will take a small party with us to the capital, to gain passes for everyone to move freely about."

Porrelth moved next to Garuga then, crossing his arms. His clothes, for once, looked neatly pressed. No stains, no disrespectful remarks stitched in. Just a plain T-shirt and jeans, followed by his signature red coat. "I'm going to name those people," His Porrelth's voice boomed. His yellow eyes scanned over the crowd, counting heads, before stating, "Takabi."

The boy nodded.

"Kairas."

He smirked.

"Nana."

She sighed. "If I must."

"Aqua."

"YES," She cheered.

"And Frannie."

The last name made everyone pause. "Seriously," The blonde's voice chimed in. "Why?"

Instead of answering her, he shot a heavy glare that could burn through solid metal. She slumped down, avoiding his gaze and squeaking, "Y-Yes sir!"

"We leave in ten minutes. Be ready. The rest of you, dismissed!"

The two turned and walked away. Slowly, the gathered crowd got up and moved back to their personal business. Takabi looked at Kairas and Nana, smiling proudly. "Looks like we're a team for this one."

"Master, you seem a bit excited." Saiya eyed him. "Could it be, you're thinking of challenging Dragons to a duel?"

He chuckled a little, scratching his nose. "Saw through me, huh?"

"You're not fighting anyone," Nana said. "We're here as guests."

"Still, the idea of Dragons as strong as Porrelth or Garuga gets me so pumped. I wanna know where I can stack up."

Kairas, sharing his brother's enthusiasm, nodded at his words. "It would be a good idea to test our powers against someone fresh. I feel I can still grow."

"Do you even hear yourselves," Nana asked. They looked at her, and she sighed loudly. "A pair of idiots, the both of you." She stood from the table. "I'll see you guys at the exit."

Takabi watched her walk off. When she went through the Bunker's door, he stood and made his way to the Board room. Garuga and Porrelth had closed the doors, files in their hands, when they spotted him. Before they spoke, he asked, "Is there anywhere romantic on Dreulara?"

The question took them back a bit, and both exchanged glances, before saying, "Well, there's the Pink Forest to the south. There's a kingdom of all women Dragons there, and they specialize in that type of thing. I took my wife there for our anniversary once," Garuga said.

He nodded, eyes glancing at the ring on Garuga's finger. He never spoke much about his life on Dreulara, but he always smiled when his wife came up in conversation.

----------------------------------------------

Kairas opened the door, stepping into the outside world. It was the perfect temperature. Warm, but not muggy or damp. A faint breeze rushed through, easing his body with a relaxing scent of strawberries. "We're clear."

They began to file out. Garuga took the lead, Porrelth close behind him. They lead the group on a dirt trail straight ahead. Their footsteps crunched grass and twigs, the morning sun greeting them with beautiful weather and light.

"It's so beautiful here," Nana said to break the silence.

"Even more than I remember," Garuga said.

Takabi walked next to Nana, a bit closer than usual. She noticed it, and wanted to step away, but he took her hand in his and pulled her a little closer.

"Can I get some space," She asked.

"I'd rather you stay close." He said. His tone was gentle, softer than he had ever spoken to her before. It was enough to crack the tense wall she built, and she nodded at him.

Frannie watched them closely, smiling at the pair, before looking ahead. "How long do we have until we get to the city?"

"I'd say a good thirty minutes if we don't rush."

Nana watched Takabi's face, drinking in his features. Her mind and heart spoke differently. She wanted to be mad at him, but couldn't bring herself to stay that way. No doubt in her mind, she might've strained their relationship. She wanted to make it up to him, one way or another.

"Hey, can we talk?"

He looked down at her, then stopped walking. Kairas froze in place, both boys' eyes wide and snapping their gaze around. "You feel that?"

"Yeah," Takabi replied. "It's all in the air."

Aqua opened her mouth to ask what, but seeing their expressions, managed to piece together the possibility. "A Gem?"

"Yeah," They confirmed.

The group immediately stopped and began to search the area, turning over stone and looking through bush after bush for the next hour. The heat had risen, shining down on them in a heavy blanket. Aqua willed forth water as they searched, allowing everyone to drink as they continued to not succumb to exhaustion. When they finished, Takabi kicked a rock through a tree, gritting his teeth. "Did we imagine it?"

"Possibly." Garuga dropped a boulder on its side, eyes scanning the crater of soil under it. All he saw was worms and gravel. "Could be the Kult playing tricks on us. We should remain alert."

They were ready to leave and continue on.

Takabi picked it up first, the sound of footsteps approaching them. The Magic signal coming from the person, whoever it was, was suppressed greatly, but under the surface, he could tell there was an entire world of power untouched.

He snapped his head back, dodging the hand that reached for him. The hand belonged to a man who looked to be in his early thirties. Long black hair draped over his shoulders, and a faint beard touched his chiseled jawline. His black eyes locked on Takabi, and he spoke loudly in a deep voice. "Who are you! State your business!"

"Easy, we come in peace!" He slapped himself mentally at the cheesiness of his words. "We're just heading to the closest town. No harm intended."

The man looked Takabi up and down, raising his right eyebrow, before looking at the rest of the group. "I heard an older man here. Where did he go?"

Takabi looked around for Garuga and Porrelth, yet couldn't see a trace of them. "Did they ditch us?!"

The man charged at Takabi then. "Apologies, but I'm bringing you in for questioning."

Takabi grit his teeth and dodged the man. With great speed, he brought his hand back, striking Takabi's cheek hard, knocking the boy on his back. Jumping up, he flipped until he was between Nana and Aqua. Kairas watched the man as he made his way towards them. Frannie noticed the badge on his shirt, blinking at the gold.

Takabi rushed forward, flames surging around him. He threw a punch, the man catching it easily, twisting his wrist and spinning Takabi in the air. Using the momentum to his advantage, Takabi released flames from under his feet, charging ahead and slamming his skull into the man's chest. Taking a deep breath, he released a roar of flames that swallowed their attacker, bathing the forest in white wildfire. He slid back, exhaling and watching his flames dance.

The man waved the white aside with blackness, shadows creeping up around him, bending around his arm. "As I figured. You're not a Dragon. We have no records of any that can use White Flames." He winced faintly, looking at his shadows screeching in a faint pain. "Light affinity, and an extreme heat. Flames this powerful that are more powerful than the center of the sun."

"You're a Dragon?" Takabi stood.

"A Shadow Dragon at that," Aqua commented.

"A cop to add onto that," Frannie cried out. They looked at her then snapped their gazes at the man, spotting the badge on his shirt faintly melting. "We're so fucked."

"Any chance you can overlook this," Nana asked.

He narrowed his eyes, the sky overhead seemingly turning pitch black. Shadows rushed up wildly around him, his long hair standing on its ends as his eyes held a dark light.

"Didn't think so."

The boys stood next to one another, willing forth the power of their White and Black Gems. The man's eyes widened, and he grit his teeth before smirking. With a cry of strength, he rushed at the two. Fire and ice swallowed Takabi and Kairas, the three charging at one another.

The shadows overhead ceased. Between them, fire and shadow rose, Garuga grabbing both the boys by their collars and holding them in place. Porrelth skillfully restrained the man, holding his foot on his back and sighing. "We leave for a minute, and you pick a fight with a cop?"

"He started it," Takabi choked up.

Garuga looked back at the officer. "My apologies. These kids are…" He dropped Kairas and Takabi, the two coughing and holding their throats. He stepped towards the man, shooing Porrelth off him. Picking his head up, the two looked at one another, a stunned silence gripping them.

"You've… Gotten so big… Is that really you, Jade?"

"Jade," Takabi croaked. "Who's that?"

"Father. It was you!"

"Father?!" Takabi yelled. He looked at Kairas then the girls, both releasing their Gem forms before looking at the Dragons. "Garuga, who the hell is this guy?!"

"He's my son, Takabi." He helped Jade stand up, then smiled at everyone. "This is Jade."