Children of the Sun and Moon (Part 1)

This is the first part of the Children of the Sun and Moon story.

## Story

After a mission to the 98th dimension with their friends, Ranald and Maya went to look for those bearing the Star Orbs and the silver badges. On Earth, Ranald learned that while he was away, there were reported sightings of golden balls of light flying across the sky in many nations of the world. He deduced that they may be the Star Orbs, and this may be them searching for their future hosts who having encountering unusual incidents involving them facing their fears, proved themselves worthy to merge with the orbs. As Ra remembered who will receive the Star Orbs, inside his mind, he told his Dimensional Mate that they have to wait for them at Dreamland's Gate to meet them. At first Ranald was unsure of what that meant, but when he slept at night, he and Ra merged to become Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior, flew to Dreamland as a spirit and stationed himself at it's Gate to see for himself while guarding it from the evil spirits that would arrive to harm the children's spirits who visit Dreamland.

In time, 108 humans bearing the Star Orbs within them met Ra at Dreamland's Gate on the days they overcame their fears. He took each one to the Aether World's Realm of the Sun, where the Zenith Castle is. These men and women placed their hands on the Stele of 108 Stars that stood in the castle's Main Hall, causing their name to appear on it. Filled with energy from their dreams and the sun, they gained a Heroic Form and powers relating to their hopes, dreams, and the fears they overcame in question and based on the star that merged with them. Ra told each of these people about what happened to them when the Star Orbs met them and their responsibilities as the new 108 Stars of Destiny, and after affirming their allegiance to him as he promised to teach them how to use their powers wisely, they went their separate ways.

On Earth, at her childhood home, Maya as Mayari learned from Lilac that her adopted younger brother met his Dimensional Mate Revati, who gave him a silver badge and taught him how to use it. At that time, Lilac was allowed by her mother to visit her Dimensional Mate on Earth. She consulted King Athos using the device she received from Aether World Cosmic University on what to do with this. He advised that she must train him and Revati to use their powers to protect people.

Eventually, Maya's adopted younger brother met people like him who received the silver badges from their Dimensional Mates. She took them under her wings and with the help of her classmates, now the Crusaders of the Constellations, taught them human combat skills and the proper usage of their newfound powers.

And her pupils graduated a year later...as the newly minted 28 Knights of the Lunar Mansions.

Somewhere over the course of their respective missions of teaching the two groups on how to use their newfound powers, Ranald and Maya spent more time with each other. And somewhere along the way, they fell in love. Ra and Lilac fell in love too, he with her gentleness and grace, and she with his courage and loyalty to Dreamland's visiting children. Eventually, Ranald popped the question to Maya. They became engaged, and even so, they continued their respective duties of leading the Stars of Destiny and the Knights of the Lunar Mansions in training while also leading the Planetary Guardians and the Crusaders of the Constellations in their dimensional missions.

After the founding of the Lunar Mansion Knights and the Stars of Destiny, they married in St Griffward Parish's church. The Crusaders, all disguised as humans, King Athos and his staff, and the newly minted Stars of Destiny and Knights of the Lunar Mansions all attended, as well and their families and their friends. In Dreamland's clouds, Ra and Lilac married, with Golden Heart, Hydara, Cerynitis and her family, Revati and the other Dreamland Beasts attending. It was a joyous celebration, ending with the wedding dinner where they ate the most delicious food Ranald and Maya ever dreamed of. She moved to St. Griffward Parish, where Ranald and his parents lived.

After 9 months, Maya gave birth to her first child. The first, Raguel, was named such for she thought, "As a friend of God, he may grow up to be a pastor of the church my husband's parents work in." Raguel's Dimensional Mate, Nox, was born at the same time, hatched from the egg Lilac laid. Nox took his name from the fact that both he and his Mate were born at night. He inherited Ra and Lilac's traits, the front half of an eagle like his father, and the hind half of a white reindeer, making him a hippogriff. Golden fur grew on his hind knees, and the top parts of his legs had golden 'streamers' of fur covering them, connected to the fur on his knees. He has a dragon crown on his head supported by two red nubs, and a griffin/lion's tail, but with jaguar spots on it, and a black and gold flame on its tip. Ra noticed that it looks like one of the five tails of himself and Ranald's Hyper Form. Nox saw his Earth Dimensional Mate as a baby with his Dimensional Eyes and squawked with joy.

After a year, the second child, Eliana came next after Raguel. She was so called, for she's the first daughter of Ranald. Her Dimensional Mate, Eos, came at the same time to Ra and Lilac, hatching from another of the reindeer's eggs. "See, our first daughter looks like you," Ra remarked to his wife. "True, she is a child of dawn," Lilac replied, for it was dawn when Eliana and her Mate were born. Indeed, Eos looked like her mother, save for having rose-golden fur, and having red antlers. Her legs have thick silver fur on her knees with 'streamers' of silver fur covering the top parts, and from the knees down, are white with silver stripes, making it look like she's born wearing striped socks. Instead of a reindeer tail, she has a dragon's tail with silver scales transitioning to cyan and saffron scales, with a brilliant white flame at its tip. Eos looked at her Dimensional Mate of Earth and watched with curiosity.

After a year, the third child, Arnaldo, came after Eliana. "He will have an eagle's power," Ranald remarked. It was day time when the third child was born. Arnaldo's Dimensional Mate, Aurum was born at the same time, form an egg that Lilac laid. He looks like his father, save for having two red nubs on his head to support his dragon crown. His dragon tail has scales of brilliant yellow, fiery red, and saffron orange covering it, with a golden-yellow flame at its tip. Aurum stood on his two legs and watched his Dimensional Mate from afar.

After the year Arnaldo was born, Maya gave birth to Raleigh at twilight. His Dimensional Mate, Comet, hatched from Lilac's fourth egg the same time his Earth Dimensional Mate was born. He is a white reindeer like his mother, but with saffron orange stripes. Like Eos his older sister, he has a dragon tail, but unlike his older sister's, his is covered in scales that are saffron orange at the base and transitioning to dark blue at the tail tip. The tip of the tail has a dark blue flame on it.

After the year Raleigh was born, Maya gave birth to her youngest child, a girl at dusk. She named the baby Ariel, saying that she will be a lion of God who will defend the weak, just like how her husband defends the children of Dreamland from the nightmare monsters and spirits. At the same time, Lilac's youngest daughter hatched from the fifth and last egg that she laid. She named her daughter Mau, while Ra gave her the second name Silver Wing. Mau Silver Wing took after Golden Heart in appearance, only that her fur and feathers are silver white, her claws are black, with a golden horn on her head. She has dark blue stripes on her body, and she has a dragon tail covered in scales that are dark blue at the base to black at the tip. A black flame shone at the tail’s tip.

When all the five children were born they were raised in St Griffward parish's church and orphanage. One day, while Maya was helping her in-laws take care of them and the other orphans, Ranald slept, as he and Ra merged into Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior. Ra told his Mate that the children of him and Lilac all have the dragon tails of their Hyper Form. "So it must mean something," Ranald replied. He flew to Dreamland to meet his Dreamland parents, to enquire of this. "Each of your children inherited the powers of the Hyper Form you gained when the Sun's energy and light hit you," Golden Heart replied. "That's right. Your children now have inherited you and your wife's powers," Hydara's first middle head said. "But you and your wife must raise them well," the second head said. "And you must teach them to use their powers for good and to aid each other and the children who visit Dreamland," the third head of Hydara added. "But if you want to know more," the fourth head said. "Consult one of my wife's associates," the fifth head said.

Ra asked his parents where they can find the associate. Golden Heart and Hydara discussed with each other for a while and then she looked at him and said, "Bakumaru was a sworn brother of mine before we parted ways. Hydara advised that you bring your wife and your children to meet him. Maybe he knows what's up with them." "Yes, mother, I will." The next night, while the family slept, Ranald and Ra fused to become Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior, and flew to the Realm of the Moon to meet Lilac and her family. Lilac was raising her five children with the help of Revati, Cerynitis and her father. When Ra told them about what his Dreamland mother advised him, Cerynitis nodded. "My daughter and her children will go with you. Keep them safe on your journey to Bakumaru. Send him me and my family's greetings," she told him. So Ra and his family set off on a journey in Dreamland's clouds.

After a while, they came to the cloudscape of a sleeping old man. In the cloudscape, there's a fortress of stone with a golden door in a jungle. When Ranald asked his Mate if Bakumaru is friendly to visitors, Ra replied from the torso armor of their combined form, "In Mom's stories about her childhood, perhaps he is." Inside the fortress were dream versions of object from the Earth Dimensional Mate of the Dreamland Beast, and a staff with ribbons on it and a heart-shaped dark blue gem on its tip. Silver Wing, the youngest of the five, stretched out her eagle claws to touch the staff out of curiosity, only for Nox to tell her not to. Ra decided to roar to call Bakumaru out. He crouched down on all fours, and let out a loud roar from his mouth, showing his lion teeth. Lilac and her children covered her ears as Aurum whispered, "I wish I can roar as loud as Dad." After a few minutes, a shape emerged from the opened door across the main lobby of the fortress and walked towards them.

A dark blue tapir, with silver sides, nose trunk, and eyebrows long enough to touch the floor stood in front of the family. The dark blue parts of him have small specks like stars all over, and his tail has a light blue flame on its tip. "You...called me? That's loud..." he spoke softly. Ra then explained to him about his children's features, that they have the tails of his Hyper Form, the Golden Griffin Warrior of the Blazing Sun, and that his mother sent he and his family to visit him. "Golden Heart...Ah yes, my sworn sister of times past...I will see what's up with her grandchildren aside from...them inheriting you and your wife's powers," Bakumaru said. He walked to the staff and grasped it with his nose trunk. Then he waved it over the five children of Ra and Lilac. Sparks of dark blue, silver and white trailed the staff as he waved it. They floated in the air and formed a dark blue circle decorated with stars showing various images that attracted the Dreamland Beast siblings. "Are we going to be Dream Defenders like Dad too?" Eos asked.

"More that that," the tapir Dreamland Beast replied. "Your father fused with the energies of Heaven and the Sun while you mother merged with the Moon and Heaven's energies. Ra and Ranald, Maya and Lilac, the Dimensional Mates of each other, the Warriors of Sun and Moon. You have inherited the powers of Heaven in you, divided according to your traits," he said to the five children of Ra. Ranald asked if he meant that his Dreamland Dimensional Mate's children have they and Maya's powers divided among them. "Certainly," Bakumaru answered. The circle formed from his staff showed an image of Nox. The hippogriff saw that it was against the background of the night sky. "When the Sun sets, darkness covers the world. Criminals, evil spirits, and the monsters of the night revel in its shadows, threatening the safety of those who sleep or work at night. The eldest son shall deliver swift justice to where his siblings could not reach, a light in darkness who finds what people overlook, who knows the deeds done in night's darkness while hunting his prey with stealth. Yet he will heal the souls of those who in their waking life suffer in silence, unheard by society, in the shadows that people overlook, he will enter their dreams and heal them. He shall live and fight in the shadows as the most cunning of them all."

Nox thought about these words. How could this be if he's the firstborn son? He asked Bakumaru, and the tapir answered, "The secret knowledge you find in night's shadows shall benefit your Dimensional Mate. While they work in the light fighting evils that can be seen, you will work in the dark exposing and fighting evils that escape justice." Then it was Eos's turn. The circle's image showed Eos against the dawn. "What's my role in all this?" the rose-gold reindeer asked. "The eldest daughter and second child shall drive away the nightmares that haunt the dreams of children just as the light of dawn drives away the shadows of the night. She will defend the dreaming and waking against the forces of evil, fear and death, the greatest warrior of them all," he answered. When Eos heard this, she leapt with joy until Aurum motioned at her to stop. She then walked back to her mother.

The image of the circle changed to show Aurum against the backdrop of the rising sun. "Cool!" was what he said when he saw it. Bakumaru spoke again. "The light of the sun at noonday bathes your world in its light and banishes all shadows. Similarly, as the leader, the middle son shall banish all evil and be a shining example of courage, honor and loyalty to his siblings and the children in Dreamland like his father before him while he provides comfort and solace to the oppressed." Aurum smiled. "Even if Bakumaru tells you such things, do not be prideful," Ranald advised his second son. The golden griffin nodded meekly at his father's words.

After that, Bakumaru turned to a sleeping Comet. The white reindeer's ear flicked at his direction. The tapir spoke: "Such a quick-witted and brilliant mind! Twilight happens between dawn and dusk. As the rising sun pierces through the darkness and the setting sun holds back the decline of day's brilliance, so will the third son pierce through the ignorance of darkness and enlighten minds through all forms of learning. He will make wonders known to Dreamland and Earth, and use the knowledge and wisdom he gains to defend the weak from the forces of evil. And he will pass his skills to those he knows are willing to learn. As Comet woke up, he saw on the dark blue circle an image of himself against the scene of the twilight sky. "Interesting, but is there any difference between me and Nox?" he asked Bakumaru. "You search for knowledge and apply it to your living while your older brother stalks where you couldn't go and finds the knowledge of secrets done in the dark," he replied.

Comet nodded as the circle changed its image one last time: That of Mau Silver Wings flying among the sky at dusk. "The youngest child and second daughter knows that when the evils who hide in darkness comes, people will and must band together to fight it. She, as the heart of the five, shall bring unity to her siblings and mortals with her words. She will soothe troubled ones with her songs, still the furious with her speech, inspire with her cries and roars, and bring order with her writing to prepare them against the darkness. For those who break their promises and lie, she will visit her wrath on them, and for those who are true to their word, she shall come to their aid," Bakumaru said as Silver Wing listened attentively to him.

The star-studded dark blue disk that the tapir made with his staff disappeared into swirls of blue, silver and white light. Ra then asked Bakumaru what to do. "I can only say one thing. The Dimensional Mates of your Dreamland children may have inherited their father's ability to travel to Dreamland as spirits while their bodies sleep. But as they share the same body, soul and blood, like you, the best thing to do is to teach them how to defend the children of Dreamland. As to whether they can fuse with their Mates, it's unclear..." the Dreamland Beast answered. "But we can train them and their Mates to fight if needed, for Ranald and my Mate have other duties leading the Stars of Destiny and the Lunar Mansion Knights," Lilac replied. "Thus it shall be," Bakumaru replied. The Dream Defending Family bade him goodbye as they went back to Dreamland to tell Golden Heart and Hydara about it.

While Ranald and Maya's children were growing up, their Dreamland Dimensional Mates received their combat training from Lilac and her family, as well as Golden Heart and Hydara, for Ra serves as Ranald's conscience. In fact, Ranald and Ra still becomes the Golden Griffin Warrior at night when he sleeps, to either fly to Dreamland to meet his Dreamland parents and the five children of Ra to help them perform their duties or to meet the Stars of Destiny at the Realm of the Sun's Zenith Castle. Maya though has a flexible work schedule as a teacher at Aether World Cosmic University, so after work, she rests at the Realm of the Moon, where she meets the Knights of the Lunar Mansions, the Twelve Earthly Branches, and the Four Guardians before going back to Earth. When Raguel was 12 years old, Ranald and Maya told him and his siblings what they learned from Bakumaru: Their Dimensional Mates, and that they have inherited their parent's powers.