EPISODE 7: THE FIFTH RULE: ‘AN UNEXPECTED DREAM OF HIS WILL COME TRUE’

The Kenyah Family cheered Concordia happily.

"Thanks to you, the Nightbane Family is honour bound to supply us with ten years' worth of free games!" Face (Concordia's Dad) cheered.

"Seriously? That was your wager Dad?" Concordia stared at her dad in disbelief.

"Of course! It's the perfect retribution for my repeated losses to Zan here" Face said.

"Well I'm nullifying that wager" Concordia said.

"Way to go Concordia!" my Dad cheered happily.

"What?! Why?!" Face exclaimed in horror.

"That's because the match ended in a draw" Concordia said.

"What do you mean?! You clearly beat San!" Face argued.

"Not really. San's last move…if he had succeeded in carrying it out, he'd have burnt right through my Porcupine Defense Mode. I initially intended to counter him once his kick made it past the final layer of defense however…he seemed distracted at the end creating the perfect chance for me to counterattack" Concordia said.

"San! You were distracted in the middle of a battle?!" my Dad growled at me angrily.

"I'm sorry Dad but it's…well…complicated" I apologized.

Saito smirked.

"I think I know why" she said.

My Dad looked around and noticed Ariel with Ciella.

"Oh? So that's why? For someone who's so determined to evade the family 'curse', you sure went and took a headlong dive right into ground zero" my Dad said.

I gulped.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Introduce us" my Dad said.

My parents and siblings gathered around Ariel and Ciella.

"H-Hello San" Ciella greeted nervously.

"Dad, guys? This is Ciella Solstice. Ciella, this is my family. My Dad, Just Zan Nightbane, my Mom, Ayumi Kirisawa Nightbane, my siblings Saito Kusanagi Nightbane, Keiran Ryuuji Nightbane and I see you've already met Ariel Nightbane, my youngest sister" I introduced my family.

"Nice to meet you" my family greeted.

"Nice to meet you too" Ciella greeted shyly.

"Hey Face, Vikki, Concordia, why don't you come say hi to San's girlfriend" my Dad teased.

"Hey Dad! Don't go saying stuff like that in front of Ciella! We only recently met!" I roared.

My family laughed.

Ciella's face turned red from embarrassment.

"It-It's definitely not like that between us!" she defended herself.

"Ciella, this here is the Kenyah Family. Boniface Kenyah and Victoria Pendragon Arthur Kenyah. Concordia Kenyah, their daughter sort of has a grudge against gamers from my family. This match was to resolve that" I explained.

"Ariel your sister told me a little about that" Ciella admitted. "So how did it go? Did you win?" she asked.

"It was a crushing defeat! My defeat! Concordia's abilities are definitely unfair!" I complained.

"Actually…it was a draw San. So she is the reason you were distracted at the end of our battle huh?" Concordia asked.

I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her a distance away from Ciella.

"Ciella's not a Dream Knight and she doesn't know that I'm the bloody caped guy and I'd prefer not to expose the Dream World's realities to her any further. She seems to be going through a tough time and this appears to somehow be tied to Zanböngfar's rampage that occurred all those years ago" I explained.

"Hmm…I see. Sounds complicated. Anyway, going by that logic, you owe me a rematch. You probably intentionally took my final hit to prevent Ciella from seeing your bloody caped avatar didn't you?" Concordia glared at me suspiciously.

"I think you give me way too much credit" I said.

"Fine, so you were simply distracted. Either way, you owe me a rematch" Concordia insisted.

"Fine, fine" I sighed in defeat.

We returned to the others.

"Hey everyone, let's give San and Ciella some room. Looks like they have a lot to talk about" Saito said and pulled my family away.

Ciella and I walked to one of the many seats in the studio and sat down.

"Is there something you want to talk about? I didn't even know you knew where I lived" I said.

"I asked one of our classmates" Ciella said nervously.

"I see" I said.

There was an awkward silence between us for a while.

"Actually, I wanted you to see this" Ciella said and pulled out her cellphone.

"What?" I asked.

"It's a special report by our school's News Committee" Ciella said and played the video.

"According to astronomers, on Friday, a week from today, there will be a total solar eclipse. It will be possible to view this phenomenon from any location within Dream City. The last time such an event occurred was roughly three hundred years ago. The last major astronomical event to occur in Dream City was the Blood Moon that occurred twenty three years ago. Some reports seem to indicate that mysterious heroes had a showdown with a terrifying monster during the Blood Moon. Could the Bloody Caped mysterious hero who downed the tank be related to the mysterious heroes from twenty three years ago? Hopefully, nothing significant should occur during the total solar eclipse which will be said to last for three hours starting from Noon" the girl from our school's News Committee reported.

"That's an incredibly detailed report. She's even made the connection that I might be related to a family of Dream Knights" I thought to myself. "A total solar eclipse? Sounds interesting" I said.

"I was wondering if you'd like to…you know…watch it together?" Ciella asked.

"What to do? Should I turn her down or agree?" I thought to myself and looked at Ciella.

She had a really expectant look in her eyes.

"There's just one step between now and me exposing the Dream World's realities to Ciella. Slipping up in front of the school's News Committee who appear to be deeply embedded in Ciella's social circles. The safest thing to do would be to turn her down now" I thought.

Then I looked at her.

"San? You've been silent for a while now. You refuse?" Ciella asked.

She looked really disappointed.

"Of course I'll see the total solar eclipse with you. Let's meet at the field of Lunar Flowers next Friday" I said with a smile. "WHAT THE HECK AM I SAYING?!" I thought to myself in alarm.

Ciella looked very happy. She nodded.

"Hey San! Ciella! What are you two talking about? It's not every day a battle between two families occurs. San lost one match. It's still too early to decide the outcome of the battle" Saito called.

"We won't lose to the Nightbane Family!" Face challenged.

Ariel sighed.

"I'm not getting involved in this. I'll go get us something to eat" Ariel said and walked out.

She returned roughly fifteen minutes later with food and drinks for everyone. Then our battle commenced. I decided not to get involved as well because my avatar had been fashioned after my alter ego and if Ciella saw me fighting with an avatar who matched the bloody caped guy, she'd be suspicious. As expected, Concordia defeated all my siblings. It wasn't surprising considering the fact that they weren't hardcore gamers.

"The one I really want to fight is San!" Concordia complained.

"Our rematch will occur when my avatar's not wearing a bloody cape or Ciella is absent" I whispered sharply to Concordia.

Concordia nodded. Then my Dad and Concordia's Dad began to play. On their part, it was a crushing defeat for the Kenyah Family and a total victory for the Nightbane Family. Ciella watched us in amusement. Thanks to Ariel and Saito, she gradually began to feel more at ease.

After the event was over, I walked Ciella to the park where we'd first met. It was nighttime.

"I had fun today. Thanks San" Ciella said gratefully.

"Well…it's kinda hard to be depressed around my family" I said with a laugh.

"I guess I'll see you next Friday then?" Ciella said.

I nodded.

"Well, we'll be seeing each other in school from Monday to Thursday. The school might give us a break on Friday to allow us to witness the event" I said.

"I hope so" Ciella agreed.

We parted ways and I returned home. I met my parents and siblings watching TV in the Hall.

"You're finally back San" Keiran said.

"You must really like Ciella if you're willing to risk getting hit by the family 'curse'" Saito said.

"We're just friends and we're classmates as well. It would be impossible to completely avoid her" I argued.

"Yeah yeah" my siblings didn't look convinced.

"Anyway, it's about time you told us what the fifth rule is!" Saito said eagerly.

I removed the Tome from my bag and placed it before my family. I opened it. When I saw the words written within it, I opened my eyes in glee.

"COULD THIS BE..?! COULD THIS BE?!" I exclaimed happily.

"What does it say San?" Saito asked.

I stared at the Tome. These were the words written within it.

"THE FIFTH RULE: 'AN UNEXPECTED DREAM OF HIS WILL COME TRUE!'"

"An unexpected dream of his will come true?" Ariel asked.

"Yes, my dear little sis! You know what that means?! I have but one dream! To evade the family 'curse'! This rule is in fact a blessing in disguise!" I exclaimed.

"But if your only dream is to evade the family 'curse', wouldn't that be an 'expected' dream?" Saito pointed out.

A sudden look of shock and dismay came over me.

"Hey! Don't jinx it Saito!" I roared.

"I don't need to jinx it. You did that the moment you said your 'only' dream was to evade the family 'curse'" Saito said.

"Then there is only one way to remedy this situation…" I clenched my fist in determination.

"Huh?" everyone stared at me in surprise.

"I must find a new dream and transfer all my focus to it until I completely forget about evading the family 'curse'! I must use the legendary martial art known as the 'feint'!" I declared with determination.

"Are you stupid?" Saito stared at me in disbelief.

"There's no way that will work!" Keiran said.

"Won't know unless I actually try it!" I declared.

"One word of advice for you though San" my Dad said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You'd best be hoping your dream comes true before next Friday" my Dad said.

"Why?!" I roared and then I recalled the report I saw on Ciella's phone. "The total solar eclipse?" I asked.

My Dad nodded.

"According to ancient Dagara lore as well as lore passed down through generations in the Dream and Nightmare Realms, rare celestial events are like markers that indicate periods of transitioning for the Worlds Of Dreams and Reality. You recall what happened during the last major celestial event that occurred in Dream City don't you?" my Dad asked.

I nodded.

"Though in the end the outcome of the transition be it for good or for evil is ultimately dependent on choice" my Dad said.

I gulped. I recalled The Second Rule, 'He Will Meet A Girl From A Land Not His Own Whose Name Is Tied To His Fate!"

Ciella's words concerning her name slowly played within my mind.

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

"'Solstice', the two times of the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky determining the length of the day" I thought to myself.

I sighed.

"My brain is going to shrivel up if I think too much on this" I thought to myself.

FRIDAY…DAY OF THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE…

It was currently eleven o'clock and I was already in Central Dream City. I walked towards the field of Lunar Flowers. When I arrived, I saw Ciella waiting patiently. She looked relieved.

"For a while, I actually thought you were not going to come" Ciella said.

"You're here early. Hope I did not keep you waiting for too long" I said.

Ciella shook her head.

"No, you didn't. I've only been here for thirty minutes" Ciella said.

Ciella and I walked into the field and sat amongst the flowers. She breathed in deeply and sighed. There was a cool breeze blowing through the area.

"I brought some lemonade in case we got thirsty" I said and removed some bottles from my bag.

"Well what a coincidence. I brought some food in case we got hungry" Ciella said and removed two lunch packs from her bag.

I gave Ciella a bottle of lemonade and she in turn handed me a lunch pack. I opened it. Within it was some Shrimp Fried Rice With Vegetables.

"Did you make this yourself?" I asked.

Ciella nodded. I ate it.

"How's it?" Ciella asked.

"Delicious" I said and continued to gobble it up. "The Lunar Flowers usually glow at night under the influence of moonlight. I thought it would be interesting to see them glow in the daytime for a change" I said as I continued to eat.

"I see, so that's why you chose this place" Ciella said.

"It's also an important place for my family" I said and continued to eat.

Ciella smiled. I realized my mistake.

"Shoot! I actually told her this place is important to my family!" I thought in alarm.

"Well…uh…a lot of people really love this place…" I attempted to defend myself.

"You don't need to defend yourself. I'm honoured you keep bringing me to such a sacred place" Ciella said.

"You're a good person Ciella" I said.

"Well you're not half bad yourself" Ciella said.

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment" I said.

As Ciella and I ate, we gradually began to notice the area become darker and darker. I thought back to a conversation I'd had with my Dad earlier in the week.

"During the solar eclipse, it's highly likely that Nightmares below the rank of Gamma Knightmares may go berserk and attempt to infiltrate the Real World or even go on a rampage throughout the Dream World. To deal with this, the Dream Knights under the leadership of your Mom will be mounting forty fortifications at the border of the Dream World. The last time this was done was during the Battle Of Black Water Bridge. The Nightmare King, your Gramps will also defend the borders of the Nightmare Realm and attempt to contain the Nightmares that may go berserk during the Solar Eclipse. At the same time, a third of the forces from both the Dream and Nightmare Realms will defend the Eternal Mirror Gate to prevent Nightmares from infiltrating the Real World" my Dad explained.

"Ciella, would it be alright if I had your phone number?" I suddenly asked.

Ciella looked surprised initially and then she smiled.

"Of course, we're friends. But on the condition that I have yours as well" Ciella said.

"Of course" I laughed as we exchanged numbers.

The sky gradually became darker. The Lunar Flowers began to glow brightly. Ciella and I stared at the sight in awe as the moon completely eclipsed the sun. Around the moon was a bright ring of light from the sun. It was as though it were night. We could see the stars as well.

At that moment, Ciella and I began to receive live broadcasts from our school's News Committee.

"There's a growing rash of organized crime throughout Dream City. Reports coming in from multiple sources indicate that mobsters are going on a rampage everywhere in Dream City. Police are doing their best to suppress violence and cordon off severely hit areas but there's currently no indication that this will end anytime soon" the News Reporter Girl from our school said.

Suddenly, I received a call from an unknown caller.

"Hello San, is that you?" a feminine voice asked.

"Concordia? How do you have my number?" I asked.

"I collected it from Saito on the day of our showdown" Concordia said.

"S-A-I-TO!" I growled. "I'll deal with that later but for now I'm actually grateful you have my number. What's going on?" I asked as I stood up and walked a distance away from Ciella.

"You've heard of the rise in organized crime recently haven't you?" Concordia asked.

"Don't tell me…?!" I exclaimed.

"Reports say mobsters are the cause but I'm sure you've guessed it already that it's actually the doing of Nightmares" I heard Concordia say.

"Nightmares?! My Dad spoke of mounting some defensive measures in the Dream World" I whispered sharply.

"It's a severe battle at the Eternal Mirror Gate. Obviously, a few Nightmares managed to slip through" Concordia said.

"My Dad said rare celestial events are markers of transition for the Real and Dream Worlds" I whispered.

"What he might have failed to mention was that the veil between the Dream and Real Worlds thins significantly during rare celestial events. There may be alternate passageways other than the Mirror Gate that form at times like this. The Dream Knights are currently working to locate and shut these passageways" Concordia said.

"Concordia, how many arrows does your Dream World Border Wall Defense Mode allow you to generate?" I asked.

"An unlimited number. I can generate as many arrows as I can keep track of" Concordia said.

"My siblings informed me that amongst their ranks is a Dream Knight by the name of Aileen Arlene Atlas. Do you know her?" I asked.

"Of course. She plays a critical role in the Dream Realm's Border Wall's Defensive Formation. Her sigil allows her to map vast geographical areas and locate enemies that trespass within any area she has mapped out" Concordia said.

"I'll need you to correlate the data you Dream Knights have on the locations the berserk Nightmares are most active in with the hotspots in the Real World where reports of mob activity are the greatest. The passageways of infiltration most likely link areas in the Dream World where berserk Nightmares are rampant in with areas in the Real World where mob activity is reported to be peaking" I said.

"I see. That's a good idea!" Concordia said.

"Next, you'll activate your Border Wall Defense Mode and utilizing Aileen Arlene Atlas' ability, assign your arrows to these hotspots for the purposes of supporting the Dream Knights that appear to suppress these rampages. I also need you to assign some of your arrows to the field of Lunar Flowers in Central Dream City" I said.

"Why?" Concordia asked.

"Well…Ciella's here and I'm not sure asking her to leave this place might be the wisest move but as long as she's here, you can keep her safe" I said.

"Fine, I'll do that" Concordia said.

"Thanks" I said.

"But now that you think about it, isn't this situation just like the backstory to Xcalibur AOP?" Concordia asked and the line cut.

My eyes widened in shock as I rushed to the Tome and opened it.

"Congratulations Sanziri Nightbane (Junior). The Fifth Rule has on this day been fulfilled!"

These words glared at me. I recalled my Dad's history and his dreams of nightmarish bunnies with red eyes and how they'd manifested in reality leading to his awakening of the Nightbane. Then the backstory to Xcalibur AOP, War Of The Worlds, played within my mind.

"It is the year 2012, in the Timeline Of Dreams. A legion of Nightmares have invaded the World Of Reality. An assault unit has been assembled to counter this massive threat…!" my eyes widened in horror.

"Dad…don't tell me the Dream World exists inside a game?" I recalled the question I asked my Dad five years ago before I commenced my training under my Gramps.

"Nope, the principles behind the Dream World and its parallelisms with the Physical World are in some ways similar to Virtual Reality…however, the Dream World is no game" I recalled my Dad's words.

"Don't tell me by 'unexpected' dream, the rule meant a videogame. How the hell am I supposed to know that?!" I clenched my teeth in anger.

I walked to Ciella.

"Ciella, stay here, you'll be safe…" I said as I raised my eyes to look at the sky.

Materializing above Ciella were Concordia's arrows which were invisible to her.

"Where are you going?" Ciella asked.

"I'll come back to you…I promise" I said seriously.

Ciella stared at me in surprise. She smiled and nodded.

In the next instant, I was rushing back home. I quickly put on my sunshades and Crimson Cape the moment I entered the house. I rushed to the Hall and saw my siblings and parents donned in their sigils and preparing to utilize the Mirror Gate's Through And Through Function. They stood in a circle with their sigils connected.

"I'm coming with you" I demanded.

"No way! You were only able to down the Armoured Tank because it took on a corporeal form. The Nightmares we'll be battling in the Dream World are pure dreams. Without a sigil, it's impossible to fight them!" my Dad refused.

I sighed.

"Fine, I get it…I'll leave this to you guys" I said and walked towards the kitchen.

"That's a pretty mature reaction" my Mom said.

"Ready Ariel, Keiran, Saito, Ayu?" my Dad called.

"Let's go!" Saito declared.

"As faithful knights of the Dream King…" they called.

I paused in my tracks.

"…We call on thee Eternal Mirror Gate. Let us into thine Kingdom Of…" my parents and siblings recited.

Suddenly, I performed a 180 and charged towards them. I leapt into the air.

"HISSATSU (KILLER MOVE!)…" I roared.

"Dreams!" my parents and siblings uttered the final part of the transportation spell.

"SHOOT! WE SAID IT! THE TRANSPORTATION IS BEGINNING! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU…?!" Keiran exclaimed in horror.

"…TRISTRAN'S INTERFERENCE!" I roared as my kick connected with the transdimensional energy.

"SAN! YOU ENORMOUS IDIOT!!!" my Dad and Mom screamed as we disappeared.