Episode 51 - The Guardian of Heart Pt 1

Allen: Are you sure...?

Jade: I am.

In one side of the Hangar, Allen, Luiz, Leo, Paris, Nana, Delph and Hanji.

On the other side, ready to take off, Jade, Flora, Harper and Emily.

Jade: I'm going to find my brother. Period.

Leo: I don't like this. Fusing you with him is exactly what the Excellar wants.

Nana: We really can't go with them...?

Luiz: We are in an honor battle, leaving the country will count as conceding.

Hanji: Not even me?

Luiz: All guardians must stay together.

Jade seemed more sure of herself, more determined, more focused, like a complete part of her personality just woke up along with the lost memories that returned. She kissed Allen, without any hesitation and left with the other girls.

Jade: When you guys finish this competition, we will meet again.

They all entered the plane and took off, leaving the guardians looking at the sky, speechless.

Hanji: Hopefully she knows what she's doing...

All guardians get angry phone calls from their mentors.

Leo: It's training time.

Paris: Even Hanji has to go? She already won her battle.

Luiz: I wouldn't refuse some extra training if I were her. The North America operation will start right after this honor battle end and we'll need all the help we can get.

Delph: You ok there, champ?

Allen: I'm... I'm fine...

Delph: You matured a lot, you know..

Allen: What...?

Delph: Normally you would make a fuss about Jade being alone, your mission and shit.

Allen: I trust her. I know she will be alright. Besides, Harper and Emily aren't pushovers, plus a permafusion is going along.

Delph: What's that? What did you say?

Allen: That a perma--

Delph: No, the first phrase.

Allen: I trust Jade.

Delph: There. Took you long enough.

Hanji: Let's get to training. I'm sure they will be fine.

Luiz: Hey, what's on your mind.

Nana: Nothing much, just, you know, tonight's my turn and I haven't been recognized as Guardian yet.

Luiz: I see...

He holds her hand.

Luiz: But I'm sure you'll do fine.

Nana: I don't know, I think that no one believes I'm really fit for that...

Luiz: I believe in you.

She blushes a little.

Nana: I hate how you always get the last word... Always having something cool to say on your sleeve.

Luiz: Idiot.

Nana: Asshole.

Nana opened her wings and flew to a distant place in the mountains, landing on an old abandoned shrine. Wildflower blooms in the old peaceful training grounds, she sees her mentor, Ki, standing with his fists clenching, meditating of sorts.

Nana: You know, the shallow water around this solid ground sure makes it look cooler.

Ki opened his eyes and looked at the dragon. She was kinda intimidated by his strong, bulky and tall body.

Ki: Yeah, this place is my favorite to train. You're kinda late though.

Nana: Had something really important that couldn't wait till after training.

Ki: You seem to have a lot on your mind.

Nana: That obvious?

Ki: As the Heart Guardian, we don't just support the group, we also have to support ourselves. Besides, I can't train you when your heart is clouded. Tell me, what bothers you?

Nana: Well...

She sighed.

Nana: I don't get why I'm the Heart Guardian. If anyone should be it's Jade.

Ki: I see you still don't understand our role.

Ki looks at the mountains.

Ki: While the Spirit is more attuned to the sun and light, the heart is more like the earth and thunder.

Ki looks at Nana.

Ki: The role of the Heart Guardian: Possess the warmth and richness of the land and protect the team, drawing damage to themselves and away from them.

Nana: Like a lightning rod?

Ki: Or an earth shield.

Nana: Oh, that makes sense.

Ki: Are you ready for the Heart trial?

Nana nodded.

Nana: Might as well get it over with.

Ki touched her forehead, his finger and Nana's pendant began to shine in a green light and she passed out. Awakening in another realm of sorts, she was standing on a suspended platform, except that, instead of Hanji's gate, a large colossal earth statue looked at her. There were trees floating around that space and the skies were light green.

She looked up and a humanoid green light being was looking at her from the top of the statue.

Nana: The fuck is happening?

The light descends to Nana's direction and slowly takes the form of a black dragon. She couldn't believe in her eyes, but that was her father who disappeared all those years ago.

But something was wrong. It was her father's body, but there was no face at all, in its place there was just a black glitch, like if an error prevented the being from having her father's face..

Worse, she realized that she also couldn't remember his face.

Nana: No... Why can't I remember...

"Lance": This is... Awkward... Pardon me, young dragon, I'm the Heart deity, I make the first trial of those aspiring to be heart guardians. Forgive the deception. We are fifth-dimensional forms that cannot be seen by your eyes, what you are seeing is only a projection of what holds the most sway in your heart.

Nana: Greeat... I got Daddy issues.

"Lance": On the contrary... It seems you hardly recall him, which is weird because your heart remembers him so fondly.

Nana: He left my life a while ago.

"Lance": He "left"? Why a father who showed to really love his daughter just "leaves"?

Nana: My mother is why.

When she said that, the scenario around them changed to her mother's mansion.

Nana looked around and saw her father playing with both her and Alouetta. She looked longingly at the scene, yet, still couldn't see her father's face.

Christine: Will you stop that?

Lance: Stop being so uptight, the kids need a break.

Christine: This noise is interrupting my work! Why are you even doing that? Alouetta isn't even your daughter...

Lance: She is now. Isn't that right, my eternal light?

He spoke with a baby voice while making tickles at Alouetta's belly, making her laugh.

Lance: And how about you, my little Banana split?

He did the same with the younger Nana.

Christine: Stop giving nicknames to them, they are going to get spoiled! And stop with that annoying sound!

Lance: You mean that the sound of your daughters laughing annoys you?

Christine: Yes! Stop at once or do it someplace else!

Christine goes away angrily while older Nana realizes why she wanted her nickname to be "Nana".

"Lance": I see, with time you forgot your nickname's words.

Nana: Banana Split... Banana... Nana...

Lance: Girls, promise me something?

The two young dragons nodded.

Lance: When you two grow up, never become like your mother, alright? You two are unique just the way you are.

Young Nana and Alouetta: We promise!

Nana: Heh... Kept that promise.

"Lance": You have a pretty smile.

Nana realized that she was indeed smiling, so she shook her head. Seeing that scene made her feel so nostalgic, yet she still didn't know why her father ran away. She had a hunch, but never a sure answer.

Nana: Why are you showing me this?

"Lance": Because this place also shows what your heart and mind wants to see, not just my physical form. You saw me as your father and wanted to remember his face, yet, you still can't.

Nana: Why?

"Lance": Because you still wonder why he left? It's your inner demons that are being tested here, not mine's.

Nana: Right.... Sorry..

"Lance": Yet, you feel like you already know the answer. To why he left you.

Nana looked at "Lance".

"Lance": And you fear that your assumption might be right.

Nana: My mom killed him... Didn't she?

The place turns back to a stormy night. After Lance finished putting Nana and Alouetta to sleep, he went back to the couple's bedroom, but noticed that the door from Christine's office was half open.

Nana: What...?

Lance saw his wife sleeping on the desk, probably tired of her work. He wanted to wake her up and take her to bed, but accidentally saw the monitor of her PC.

Lance: What the hell?

"Cross color project. Mrs Diamond, the results of your work are fantastic, your daughters have two colors and my sons also have two colors, when we make them breed, our grandchildren will have four colors!

Nana: What?!

"I can't wait! I don't know why you wish to combine so many colors, in this case, powers, into dragons, nor do I care, but there's an issue, I have 3 sons, not 2, you will need to get rid of your husband and make one more offspring".

Lance walked back, in shock. He couldn't believe in what he just read.

Nana: What in the bloody flaming hell?!

Suddenly everything came together, everything made sense. Why she called her and sister "weapons", why she called them "experiments".

Moonlight: Why do you even want the throne anyway...?

Christine: Because our race needs a new order! I'm tired of being the only house with dignity! When I become queen I'll put our race back where it rightfully belongs, at the top of the food chain!

Moonlight: What in the fuck are you talking about?

Christine: Humans!

Moonlight: What about them?!

Christine: They ruined us! When the gods died, we took their place! The humans worshiped us! Then we started to intermingle with them! Losing our purity! Losing our dignity! Losing our perfection!

Moonlight: So what?! What's the problem in living in peace with them!

Nana: She... She wanted to combine dragon powers... To subjugate the human race...

"Lance": Wait, it isn't over yet.

The real Lance sneaks out from the office and goes to the girl's bedroom.

Lance: Can't leave... Can't leave without my girls!

Christine: Where do you think you're going?

Lance freezes in fear.

Christine: Look, honey. It's nothing personal, just business.

Nana starts to remember his face and the glitches disappear.

Lance: You told me that you killed Alouetta's bio dad because because he did a "unforgivable crime!" But you killed him just to have a child with a dragon of another color?! Just for your evil experiments?!

Christine: Just be a good boy and stop. It will hurt a little at the beginning and then only darkness.

Lance: No...

Christine: Look, I need to breed with a dragon of another color, so unless you magically stop being black, I'll have to rip your heart and end my seal with you.

Lance: I won't let you use the girls as weapons!

Christine: And what are you gonna do? Run away? To where? Live every day of your life on the run?

Lance: Yes! Until I get a breach to take them from you!

Christine: You will never touch my offspring ever again.

Lance: It's called daughters! Children! Not "offspring!"

Nana: Dad...

Christine ran at him, ready to rip his heart out. It was going to be messy, but easy, besides she already did this before.

But he jumped through the window and started to fly away, the guards patrolling didn't know what to do or how to react.

Christine: What are you doing standing around, useless maggots?! After him!

Guard: My Lady, it is dangerous to fly in the storm...

Christine: I don't pay any of you for cowardice! Bring him alive so I can kill him myself!

The guards start flying after him

Nana watched and cheered her dad on even though she knew he couldn't hear her.

Nana and the Deity jumped to the next scene on an isolated Island, they saw Lance resting on the beach. He was tired, alone and his wings felt like they were going to fall off.

But he was free.

Nana: So... This is what happened?

Lance: You finally came... Shaby.

Nana and the light being looked behind and a pirate ship comes to the coast of that island.

Nana: Apple?!

Shaby: Please, call me "Cormack", boat salesman from Belarus.

Lance: Whatever...

Pirate: That's him?

Shaby: Yup. Mr Lance, these pirates will keep you hidden from your evil ex-wife in exchange for you adding your dragon powers to their crew.

Pirate: We're always in the move, so your ex won't find you.

Lance enters the ship, hiding his horns, wings and tail.

Pirate: How long will you stay with us?

Lance: Until I get my daughters back...

The scene ends and Nana returns to the dimensional realm with green skies.

Nana: I'm gonna have a word with Apple..,

Nana: But how?

"Lance": How what?

Nana: I get it that you can see my memories, but how can you see my dad's point of view?

"Lance": 5th dimensional being, remember? But, in short, I can see the memories of the person I am taking the form of, as long as they are alive.

Nana quickly raised her head.

"Lance": Yes, your father is still out there. Somewhere.

Nana: Thank you...

The light being stops having the form of Nana's father.

???: It seems your heart isn't heavy anymore.

Nana nodded.

???: Amazing, just as I thought. I recognize you as worthy of the Heart role, but only your mentor will have the final say on the matter.

Nana: What do you mean?

???: Your mentor will have to recognize you as well. My approval was only one part of the larger trial.

She is taken by a green light, feeling her body is awakening.

???: Believe in your friends. Believe in your love. Believe in yourself.

Nana wakes up.

Ki: Whoa! That was fast! Only 1 hour!

Nana: Really now.

Ki: Utu told me that Hanji stayed in the trial realm for a whole afternoon. Well, congratulations!

Nana: Wait, how do you know I passed the first test?

Ki touches his ear and Nana does the same, feeling that she was wearing an earring.

She notices that Ki also has one. But it wasn't shining like her was.

Ki: Earring carved from the earth itself. It holds warm and rich energy. Also, raises all your skills' damage, shining like your pendant with a green light every time you use your powers.

Nana recalls that Hanji had a mark on her face that did the same with her pedant, although in yellow color.

Nana: Nice..

Ki: How did it go?

Nana: My dad is still alive.

Ki: Oh! Well, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

Nana: Yea...

Ki: Are you ready for the next step? The trial taught you about your own heart. Now, I'll teach you a skill of mine, a skill for the Heart Guardian which the guardians of our mafia passed to each other.

Nana: I'm Ready.

Meanwhile, in a ruined village in Mexico, Jade walked ahead with the only Emily and Flora following behind as Harper stayed in Hanji's van that they borrowed.

Flora: So... I take it this used to be your home?

Jade: Si... It hurts to see it like this...

Jade was serious and even Flora was quiet, showing a surprising amount of respect. After walking a bit more, she stops, seeing someone ahead.

Maria: Jade...? Pequena Jade, is that you?

Dona(Lady) Maria, an elderly woman who used to have coffee time with Jade's grandmother. The old lady was in front of what used to be her house when Jade recognized her.

Jade: Señora Maria?

Maria: Pequena Jade...

She starts to tear up.

Maria: You're alive...!

Jade goes to the woman and gives her a big hug.

Maria: Pequenita... I don't see you since those malvados attacked our village... You, your family... Your abuela, your hermano...

Jade: They took my memories of my hermano... I only recently have been able to remember him...

Maria grabbed her hand.

Maria: Come, the others will love to see you.

Jade agreed, not just to see who survived, but that those people could fill in the gaps. Emily was quiet as her and Flora followed .

They get to a smaller village, a bit away and closer to a river. Their condition was horrible, they didn't even have electricity.

The people there gather around Jade in shock, to them her whole family died when Saisem invaded.

Villager: Pequena Jade!

Villager: We all thought we lost your family!

Normally people would know them from Luminary, but they didn't seem to have technology or any electricity at all.

Jade: Is this what our home town is reduced to?

Emily: They destroyed your electrical stuff...

Jade: It seems they did...

Maria: After Saisem attacked looking for people they "sages", they started to attack poor villages as well. Until some time ago, someone killed their enforcers who actively hunted us.

Villager: They took our electricity

Villager: We're lucky to even have water.

Villager: If a poor person approaches the city they are either killed or taken to slave labor.

Jade: No... Saisem is evil... But this is too much...

Villager: It's Luminary's fault!

Dramatic Pause.

Villager: They say that the White King is being more aggressive with his territory because some guys called Luminary were destroying their resources.

Jade: I'm actually a member of Luminary...

They look at her with sad eyes, almost like they blame her and her friends for the shit life they were having. To think there were places that suffered instead of seeing them as a symbol of hope...

Jade's heart broke seeing this.

Jade: We were freeing the territories under Saisem's control.... I'm sorry... I didn't know....

Villager: Wait...

Villager: What do you mean "freeing"...?

Villager: Everyone knows Saisem is invincible...

Jade: They want you to think that, but they aren't.

She shows them the battle with Ran on her phone. Someone had uploaded it to YouTube.

Flora stepped away a little and Emily put her hand on her shoulder to try to reassure her.

Jade: I'm sorry I haven't come sooner...

The Villagers come together and start talking.

Villager: This only proves we don't have to take this shit any longer.

Villager: So what are we going to do?

Villager: Let's go to the other villages of survivors, let's unite and free our comrades from their slave labor!

Villagers: YEAH!

Jade smiled, happy that she had given hope to them.

Jade: I'm coming with!

Flora and Emily agreed to go as well, the villagers had powers, but all help would be great, they also wanted to support Jade.

Emily: Yea!! Let's bash some stupid Saisem skulls!

Back at HQ, Tiger and Azure were clashing their swords on the training floor as the others watched.

Azure: Stop being on the defensive!

Tiger: I'm the heart guardian, being in the defense is my role, remember?

Tiger waved his sword, blowing a white wind through the ground, creating shields with the debris to block Azure's attacks.

Fenyx: You know, you can defend as much as you want, but you have to attack too.

Qilin: He still can't control well his mountain powers.

Fenyx: He will never control such brute ranged magic using a sword.

Qilin: By the way...

Fenyx and Qilin looked at Pudim who was sitting on the bench.

Qilin: What are you doing here?

Pudim took off his cigarette from his mouth and left out a cloud of smoke.

Pudim: After your defeat yesterday I wanted to check on your training myself.

Qilin: Oh, so now you want to interact with the rest of the team?

Fenyx: Go away, please.

Pudim: Make me.

Fenyx: What did you say?!

Pudim threw his cigarette on Fenyx' face.

Pudim: At least I'm here trying something, unlike that useless brother of mine who keeps following the princess like a lost puppy.

As much as they hated to admit, they agreed with Pudim's words.

Pudim: Hey, Tiger Boy.

Tiger and Azure stopped fighting and looked at him.

Pudim: Think outside the box, will you. Your powers are earth based, try to play with them.

Tiger: But I need to use my sword--

Pudim: So what? You can manipulate earth and sand, literally create mountains and is limiting your sword play to simple swings? Pathetic.

Pudim stood up, lit up another cigarette and put his hands on his pockets.

Pudim: If you want to commit to a sword, at least be fucking creative with it.

Tiger: Thanks for the advice!

Fenyx: What do you know... He can be useful.

Pudim: Azure, this also serves for you. If Tiger is Fateful's Mountain, you are our Glacier.

Azure: The fuck he's talking about?

Tiger: Probably your ice creation powers.

On that night, all poor villagers reunited underground, watching the battle against Ran.

Villager: Brothers and Sisters! For too long we have suffered and died under the foot of Saisem!

Villagers: No more!

Jade: ¡Abajo Saisem! (Down with Saisem!)

Everyone: ¡Abajo Saisem!(Down with Saisem!)

They all scream in unison after her.

The plan was simple, a team would sneak in and slowly release the slaves, adding them to the cause, while another team, led by Jade, Emily and Flora would take the Saisem soldiers around the city.

Villager: What about the White King's Castle?

Villager: Yeah, they are using the Cathedral as that.

Flora: We won't attack it. We're going to take the whole city except their main base.

Villager: Won't they ask for backup?

Emily: We're going to cut their energy, forcing them to stay where they are in an energy-less base.

Flora: The IBI will invade the city in around the week. All you'll have to do is defend your ground until then.

Jade: I can stay and help if you want as well.

Flora: We didn't come here for that remember?

Villager: Why can't we take the castle and get rid of the officer?

Flora: Saisem would immediately retaliate in large numbers.

Emily: Right. We need more than three of us for that.

Meanwhile in the capital, Mexico City, around the White King's castle, Krystallus was sneaking around with "Jade" trying to convince him to give up.

"Jade": You know this place, there's a laboratory under this castle where they are doing to others what they did to us.

Krystallus ignored "Jade's" warnings and kept going.

"Jade": They prey on people, make them disappear, we shouldn't be here!

Krys: I need to be here. They stored here the antidote that will make me able to use my powers again.

"Jade": This is not important, it's a distraction! We don't even know if it's here!

Krys: I want my powers back! I'm useless without them!

"Jade": And what's your plan? Sneak in by the window, kill a guard that is taking a dump and steal his clothes?

The scene jumps to inside a bathroom on the castle and Krystallus was putting on a guard's uniform, just like "Jade" sarcastically suggested.

"Jade": So now you listen to me. Are you trying to get us killed?

Krys: Well, it's too late to back out now.

The real Jade's mission goes on as planned, the first team manages to successfully free and arm the slaves while Jade and the girls are knocking out the Saisem patrols.

Slowly, the poor people were taking each part of the capital, which filled Jade with pride. She got more serious and focused after getting her locked memories back, but now, working for her people like that, she found something else.

Her courage.

Krystallus get's out from an elevator, different lab, same style. Screams of torture and other experiments.

"Jade": Poor souls... Maybe we should help them.

Krys: No, we don't. We came here to unlock my powers, we can free them after that.

It was almost as if he could sense it, like the antidote was calling him and he followed the trail, the scent, the warmth like a moth to a flame, arriving in a locked door with someone screaming.

He slowly opens it and sees a Saisem agent cutting the arms of a captured IBI agent over and over again with a chainsaw. Everytime the arms healed he cutted it again.

Enforcer: It seems your healing is getting better by the second. This is an interesting--

Krystallus grabs the torturer from behind and pushes him into the chair at the side of the crying agent. He punches him in the face with his right hand, and then grabs a scalpel and stabs it into the enforcer's right hand, with the enemy reaching for the scalpel with his left hand, only to be stabbed with another scalpel in his remaining hand. Stuck to the chair, the enforcer is killed by Krystallus who shoves the chainsaw into the middle of the enemy's face.

Agent: T-Thank you...

Krys: Don't worry, I'll free everyone out of here.

Krystallus finds the antidote in a very old container and drinks it, fully unlocking his abilities.

Krys: If I want to free all of the captives, where should I go?

Agent: E-End of the corridor to the right there are two rooms, one of which lies the control room that keeps us tied to our slave collars.

Krys: I'll be right back.

Due to the commotion in the city above, many guards left to deal with the rebellion that the real Jade and her friends started, giving Krystallus a clear way to the room he needed.

Reaching the control room, that had spare torture instruments, Krystallus grabs the the local security guy from behind and shoves him into an Iron Maiden. He then slams the right door shut twice and finishes him off by slamming the left door shut.

"Jade": You know, you already have your powers back, you didn't need to brutally muder the guy.

Krys: No, but I wanted to do it anyway. As you said, Saisem are the enemy. They live, we die.

"Jade": Good boy.

He presses the button and all the captured agents are freed retaliating against their captors and running away, joining the rebellion caused by Jade.

"Jade": Alright. What now?

Krys: Karma.

"Jade": The man who designed the Project Excellar's experiments?

Krys: I'm going to find him and then kill him. Only then I'll be truly free.

???: Krystallus?!

He looks behind and sees a woman in a lab coat.

Krys: You know me?

Doc: Of course I know you, I took care of you when they brought you here and... You've taken the antidote...

Krys: I did, now tell me what's going on here.

Doc: Project Excellar, what else? Testing and combining with multiple powers to make manipulation of space and time possible, what else?

Krys: Where's your boss? Where's Karma?!

Doc: Doctor Weissman is in Sweden right now, he has been there since before the Empress was killed by Luminary.

Krys: Thank you for your cooperation.

Krystallus grabs a hook and walks toward the scientist, unaware of what is about to happen, and then he uses the hook to beat her over the head and finishes by stabbing her in the back.

Krys: I'm getting good at this, Sister. Killing these monsters in human clothing... Is fun!

While getting away from the city to return to his plane, he didn't even notice the real Jade on the other side of the street who also didn't notice him, focused on her cause.

He goes back to the plane and prepares to take flight.

Krys: I wonder why that woman made the antidote in the first place.

"Jade": She was just trying to save her own neck.