Leo: Proud Lion Style

The twelveth chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations and the last chapter of Season 1, it's about Ranald helping his guide overcome his fears.

## Story

"Not again, why are those bugs bothering me?" Anbesa asked as more cockroaches swarmed from a trash bag he took out from the Hall of the Sun. He threw it down on the sidewalk and ran from it to where his Hall Leader was standing. "Hey bud, can you help me take the cockroach-infested trash to the Main Building? I'm uh...going to the cafe to relax," he said. Ranald was not buying his fellow hallmate's excuse. It's the tenth time that Anbesa has shirked his duty of taking out the trash and passed it to his Hall Leader. Now all hallmates are expected to obey their Hall Leaders at all times, but having the Hall Leader doing your job gives off a negative impression to those who have been living with you for the past four months. Especially if said impression is 'lazy' and that you are doing so to avoid bugs that you happen to have a phobia of.

"Oh, alright then. But first...WHY NOT SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND DO YOUR JOB?!" Ranald snapped, "You are the king of the beasts, you have fiery powers, and you're not supposed to be scared of these things!" "So?" Anbesa growled, brandishing his claws, revealing that his left paw has the Leo constellation symbol on it, "I have been trying to overcome this fear all my life. Don't make me give you a phobia to scar you for life." Ranald growled back at the bipedal lion. They were about to fight until Arye called out to both of them, "What's the issue here?"

After both of them told him about it, the younger lion said, "Anbesa and I were heirs-in-line to the throne in Savannar back in our home dimension. Big Brother's fear of cockroaches stemmed from an incident where one flew in his face. He was never the same since." Arye liked to joke with his brother about it, but deep inside, he wished for his brother to be brave. He asked Heike for some advice on how to do so, and he felt that it's the right time to help both parties. He told Anbesa to practice the basics of Proud Lion Style with Ranald on some cardboard cockroaches in the gym, and then move on to some targets.

 Anbesa looked at his little brother, and then at Ranald and huffed,"Fine,". He brought him to the gym and told him that Proud Lion Style relies on raw power, hand grips, and according to him, an awesome roar that can scare enemies. He brought out some of the cardboard cockroaches, and told his new pupil, "We will do this together." They practiced the lion claw move on some cardboard cockroaches. For the rest of the fifth month, they practiced on cardboard, moving on to wooden cockroaches, and later on to robot cockroaches made by the king that can move and fly. As the fifth guide noticed, Ranald was a fast learner of the style, in part due to his soul being partly griffin, and thus, part lion. Making his job easier.

At the end of the fifth month, King Athos met the students at Cosmos Observatory and told them about the sorcerer who was defeated by Ranald and Asterion back in their second mission. He has now raised an army of monster cockroaches to swarm the 67th dimension, the world of anthropomorphic animals. Ranald saw that Mayari had Bai Tu, Geri, Kibahime, and Zenkuro as part of her group. He chose the two lions, Aguila, Phrixus and Azar to accompany him to the 67th dimension. Both groups then entered one of the dimensional portals.

Once there, they wandered through a devastated city. A deer told them about the monster cockroach army. The team lead by Mayari will help rescue any citizens trapped by the rubble and rebuild some of the city infrastructures, while Ranald's team would defeat the sorcerer and his cockroach army. Anbesa whined about the cockroaches. "Just go," Arye nudged his brother. The team went to find the sorcerer's hideout and went into the forest near the city. Suddenly, they were ambushed by cockroaches the size of horses. Anbesa panicked and wanted to run, but was stopped by Ranald, who convinced him to treat the monster cockroaches as if they were actually robot cockroaches they practised on. The lion agreed, and both of them pounced on the cockroaches with the moves of Proud Lion Style, destroying them. The rest of the group made quick work of the cockroaches.

They reached the lake that has an island on it. On said island, there was a shabby tower with "Malvor's base. Enter at your own peril." scrawled on the entrance that the sorcerer uses as his hideout. Around the lake were some cockroach burrows. More giant cockroaches emerged from them. Azar and Aguila told the other group members that they will set fire to the dens, while they confront the sorcerer. Ranald led the rest of his group to the top of the tower, where the sorcerer was brewing a magic growth formula in his cauldron. "So that's how they grow so big!" Anbesa exclaimed, "It's just like a nightmare come to life!" "Heheheheh..." Malvor laughed, "You guessed it, kitty. Now, prepare to meet your doom!" A beating of wings was heard, and a cockroach as big as a house flew out of the waters and destroyed the roof of the tower with its legs. Pieces of it fell on Anbesa, who was slow at running away. Malvor climbed on the monster's head and flew around the tower.

Ranald placed the three heart pieces in his locket, turning into his Golden Griffin Warrior form. Anbesa, however, was cowering in the rubble from the tower. Ranald, as Ra, removed the rubble with his great strength, and helped the lion up. "You're taking me...to Heaven?" Anbesa asked, mistaking Ra for an angel.

"No, your time has not yet come. We can't die in this mission. Besides, I'm the Golden Griffin Warrior. The angel's the one in the stuffed toy I own." Anbesa then thanked him for saving him. "But...this giant insect will give me nightmares if I face it. Maybe I will fail this mission," he whimpered.

Ra placed his Crystallized Right Arm on his mentor's shoulder and told him, "Nightmares don't last forever. Eventually, they will disappear when the sun rises at dawn. You will never face your fears alone, for your friends and I will fight with you." "Really? Then we're doing this together," the lion said with a grin. Ra fought with the cockroach and Malvor while Phrixus, Anbesa and Arye joined the fight. The lions used their claws, while the shepherd boy used his crook. Ra transformed his crystallized right arm into the spike-launcher and shot at the cockroach's thick exoskeleton. "No matter what you do, you will never be able to pierce its hide!" Malvor taunted. He didn't know that the lion brothers have clawed off one of the cockroach's wings. Ra aimed the spike-launcher at Malvor and shot the blade at his staff, destroying it. Phrixus then hit the sorcerer with the shepherd's crook, causing him to fall from the cockroach. Finally, Ra turned the spike launcher back into his crystallized right arm and scratched the creepy crawly's eyes, and turned back into Ranald, who handed the twin swords to Anbesa and Arye who stabbed the cockroach's back, killing it. The dying creature fell on a spot near the city where Mayari's group were helping the residents rebuild.

The animals greeted the heroes who defeated the cockroach army. Ranald said that he defeated the giant cockroaches with his own strength only, and turned into his alternate form to help a friend overcome his fears and slay the monster bug. "That's right. If it weren't for both Ranald and Ra, I would still be a quivering wreck when a cockroach crawls by," Anbesa said. Mayari told Ranald that she was glad that the helped his guide overcome his fears. Her group-mates agreed. "Looks like we can go back to our home dimension to celebrate at the bar and tavern!" Geri said, "I need a beer after this." "But not too much, please..." Bai Tu said, shrugging his shoulders. Anbesa gave Ranald the fifth zodiac tool: An impressive set of clawed gauntlets. "I am so proud of you," he whispered.

Back at the Cosmos Observatory, King Athos congratulated Ranald for helping Anbesa overcome his fears. "You have helped children overcome their fears in Dreamland, and now you also helped a bipedal lion overcome his," he said. "I'll keep it up." Athos's pupil said gladly. Arye asked Ranald if he can join his brother in sunbathing on the lawns of the Celestial Hall of Residence. "Okay then," he answered, and went with Anbesa's younger brother to where the lion was lying down. Then, as they lay down on the rolling fields, Ranald slept and visited Dreamland as his alternate form to tell his other parents, Hydara and Golden Heart about the events that transpired.

-End of Season 1-