Stage 7: Into the Dream, A Clue to the Key

Back in the mansion, Aquamarine takes water from the fountain and prepares her new Spell. Thanatos appears in the fountain's pool.

"I'm amazed, Aquamarine," said Thanatos, "Your incompetence has reached a new low. Now that Crusader Cancer has awakened, you allowed our enemies to hinder my plan."

"Forgive me, Lord Thanatos," answered Aquamarine, "I have a plan. One that the Zodiac Crusaders can't ruin."

"Is that so?"

Aquamarine pours the water from her Chalice and the liquid begins forming a magic circle. "This spell will place the entire city under a deep sleep. Even if the Crusaders fight this spell, I will search for the Key while they all sleep."

"Do not fail me again, Aquamarine."

************

"So, you guys are also the Magiboys?!" Kari asked enthusiastically as they all were gathered in the command center.

"And so are you," Cosmo replied, "With the amount of people idols meet, we can find our fellow Crusaders and our Great Ruler quickly."

Kairi was transformed into his Idol Identity, a regal looking boy with blue hair and silver eyes. "I look so cool. But still, I'm biased towards Alex." Kairi said while looking at Daiki. "What's my name, anyway?"

"Your Idol Identity is Trey Kanitani." answered Cosmo.

"Perfect time for you to debut," said Joichiro. "Our next concert is in a couple days and we can introduce you as our newest member."

"Really?!" beamed Kairi.

"Yes," Daiki replied, "And remember, No one can know you're Trey Kanitani or Crusader Cancer."

"I know," Kairi said, "Just like Mystic Hero, Black Mage."

"Exactly" said Daiki, "We fight the forces of Darkness hidden from the world."

"It is," A glimmer of hope shines in Kairi's eyes, "I loved it since issue #1."

"We're going to be great friends." said Daiki.

"I'm sure he wants to be more," muttered Joichiro.

"Well, let's go home and get ready for the concert." ordered Cosmo.

************

Later, in the dead of night, a mass of mold and fungus began to coalesce into a humanoid monster. The monster's eyes flashed crimson red and Aquamarine appeared from thin air.

"Now my Dark Spell Fungus," She called to it, "Spread your spores throughout the city and put them all to sleep."

Fungus bowed in agreement and raised its arms and a crimson gas emanated from the creature. The gas covered the entire city and those who were still awake at this hour were falling asleep where they were.

The gas even permeated into houses and trapped the sleeping inhabitants in their dreams. Even Daiki and Cosmo were caught in the dream.

The gas reached Tamoya Shrine, however, Joichiro sensed the malicious mist and it immediately woke him. "Begone Evil Spirit." He threw a charm at the mist and the mist retreated.

"Joichiro," shouted his mother, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"This is a Dark Spell at work." his mother answered.

Joichiro reached for his phone and called Daiki but there was no answer. He called Kairi, who sounded groggy.

"Unh, hello,"

"Kairi," Joichiro answered, "It's me, Joichiro. There's a strange mist here in the city caused by a Dark Spell. Don't breathe it in."

"A mist?" Kairi responded, "It's perfectly clear outside."

"How so?" asked Joichiro.

"I live in Pravoca," answered Kairi. "Outside of the city, but I can see what you're talking about. There's some red haze over the entire city."

"I called Daiki but he didn't answer."

"You don't think…" was all Kairi could say to Joichiro as he saw the red mist enveloping the whole city.

************

Daiki was floating over a beautiful city. It was one he had never seen before but strangely it was familiar with him. At the center of this immaculate city was a palace that seemed like a Greek temple.

The palace was surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains that seemed to glow in the moonlight. One of the gardens had two men standing in it. One of them was dressed in regal robes and wore a thin circlet of a crown. The other looked like a servant who tended to the other man.

Daiki saw that the two were close but he couldn't make out their faces or hear what they said. Despite all that, Daiki felt like he knew this event in his soul. Like he witnessed or experienced this before.

However, Daiki noticed he wasn't the only one bearing witness. In the distance he saw two other people floating like he was. One was far away and shrouded in darkness, the other was also far but he shone like a star. The two in the garden didn't seem to notice but Daiki and the other witness noticed the bright light. Daiki tried to move toward the light but something pulled him back.

The next thing Daiki saw was Joichiro's mother over him.

"Good," she said, "You're awake now."

Daiki felt that he had a talisman scroll on his forehead. "What happened?"

"A Dark Spell," Joichiro's mother replied, "It's placed the entire city to sleep."

"How come you're not affected."

"Joichiro and I have protected ourselves and your friend Kairi from its effects. Now you're protected."

Before Daiki can ask anything, he notices a pillar of light shining in the distance. 

"I feel that is where the Spell is." said Joichiro's mother.

"How do you know about that?"

"Nevermind that, break the Spell."

Daiki quickly changed his clothes and headed out of his house towards the pillar of light in the distance.

************

Aquamarine had been channeling her energy throughout the night and finally managed to muster the power to cast her next spell.

"Powers of Darkness I call to thee, Reveal the Key to me."

A pillar of light shot from a house in the distance.

"There it is," she said, "Fungus, go get the Key."

Fungus obeyed his mistress's command and left towards the pillar of light.

"Soon my lord," said Aquamarine, "You will be free."

************

Daiki was running towards the pillar of light and noticed it was close to Toma's neighborhood.

He was a block away when he saw Fungus heading to the same pillar of light.

"Oh no you don't." said Daiki, "Scorpio Constellation Power, Armor On!"

Scorpio tackled Fungus and stood in its way. "Placing the city under some sort of sleeping spell for you to do as you please is disgraceful. I'm the eighth warrior of the Zodiac, Ruled by the Planetary Guardian Deity, Pluto, the passionate boy clad in heavenly light, Crusader Scorpio. On behalf of the stars, your Fate is sealed."

Fungus spread his spore gas towards Scorpio which made him feel sluggish.

"What is happening to me?" asked Scorpio. Even his voice sounded like it was in slow motion.

Fungus kicked Scorpio in the chest knocking him back. Scorpio tried to get up but the spores' effect was weighing him down. Fungus grabbed Scorpio and punched him in the stomach and face relentlessly and threw him against a wall. All seemed lost as Scorpio tried to get back up.

"Cancer Water Spiral, Spin!"

Suddenly, twin jets of water washed over Scorpio, cleaning the spores off him. Cancer then directed the attack on Fungus and drenched him so he could no longer spray his spores.

"Taurus Glimmering Shield, Shine!"

The light beam hit Fungus, disorienting him.

Scorpio felt as a weight was lifted off him. "Thanks guys." 

"We figured the Spell would come here," said Taurus, "Luckily we saw you and came when we did."

"Since this Spell is using fungal spores," said Cancer, "I figured getting this thing soaked, it can't shoot its spores."

"Then let's finish it," said Scorpio, "Scorpio Harpoon Stinger!"

Scorpio threw his charged bolt at Fungus. The bolt went through Fungus and Scorpio pulled it back. Fungus began crumbling to dust immediately.

"Spell Broken!" Shouted all three Crusaders as the red mist began dissipating.

"Now," said Scorpio, "Let's see where that light leads to."

As Scorpio said this, the pillar of light faded away and disappeared entirely.

************

Aquamarine could no longer hold it any longer, her energy was spent. Once she recovered enough to see Fungus's spore mist was disappearing.

"Damn those Crusaders." she said as she vanished into thin air..

************

"What was that light?" asked Kairi.

"No clue." said Joichiro.

"It looks like it's close to Toma's house." said Daiki.

I hope he's ok. Thought Daiki.

Once the trio arrived at Toma's house, Toma met them in his school uniform. 

"Hey guys," said Toma as he saw the trio, "You're not dressed for school."

The trio looked at each other wondering what to tell him.

Suddenly everyone who had fallen asleep began waking up.

"This might be easier to explain after all." said Kairi.

************

Once Cosmo was awake and ready, Kairi invented a story and spread it all across social media and news about a chemical spill which had a sleep inducing effect on the city. He included that the gas was non-lethal and aside from the sleeping effect there were no dangers to the general public.

"Interesting idea, Kairi," said Daiki, "Where did you come up with that idea?"

"I remember from Mystic Hero, Black Mage issue #4 where Haruto faced the Sandman and he spread the rumor about the sleeping gas."

"Seriously," asked Cosmo, "You got this idea from a comic book?"

"It seems to be working," said Joichiro, "City officials are backing up the story and no one is asking questions."

"Looks like the whole city got the day off." said Daiki.

"Well, Toma is waiting for us at the arcade." said Joichiro.

Joichiro and Kairi left the command center, leaving Daiki and Cosmo alone.

"Cosmo," said Daiki, "While I was under the sleeping spell, I had a weird dream. It felt almost like a memory."

"How so?" Cosmo asked. Daiki told Cosmo everything he remembered. "Interesting. It might be a clue to our Great Ruler."

"But I wasn't alone," Daiki continued, "I saw two others with me in that dream. I just couldn't make out who it was."

************

Toma waited for the trio to arrive and they spent some time playing games. Toma said something woke him up. Kairi and Joichiro had left to go get food and drinks, so Daiki and Toma had been left behind.

"I can't remember what the dream was about, but I saw this beautiful city and then I felt this weird pull and then I woke up." Toma recounted what he remembered.

Daiki wondered if he was one of the two he had seen in his dream. If he was, what role does he play in this.

************

Daisuke had never had any dreams that felt so real. He remembered seeing a Palace and a garden. He saw Daiki also looking at the two men in the garden. Suddenly a bright light appeared and pushed him out of the dream stuck in a pillar of light. He saw a monster fighting three knight looking heroes and when the monster was gone, so was the pillar of light. He then woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat.

"What was that?" asked Daisuke. He contemplated what the dream had meant and why Daiki was in it.