Renewed Hope

The thirty-third chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations Novel, it is about the revelation of the prophecy and the students of AWCU going to Earth to stop the Devourer of Worlds.

## Story

A hush fell on everyone in the room. The classmates of the two Earth humans stared at them for a while. "You mentioned that there was no Warrior of the Sun and Warrior of the Moon back when Aether World had a thriving civilization," Delmare said to King Athos. "Right, there were only the Star Crusaders and the Solar System Guardians. It seems that somehow, Heaven saw that there is no one to guide the Star Crusaders, resulting in their arrogance. Thus, the prophecy was given to King Eudoxus in the form of a dream when he was young," he replied.

"Would that mean that we will be the Warriors of the Sun and Moon to lead our fellow classmates against the Devourer of Worlds?" Ranald asked the king. "And that we will be successors to the first Solar System Guardians?" Odin asked. "It could be possible," Athos answered. "And if Ranald and Mayari are the Warriors of Sun and Moon, and the Hall Leaders are the next Solar System Guardians, then what does that make us?" Bai Tu asked.

King Athos became silent. Cerynitis the reindeer spoke, her silver-white fur shining in the dark. "Perhaps the rest of you will be the Crusaders of the Constellations the prophecy says will appear when the Devourer threatens to awake," Everyone was stunned. "Sooooo...we came all the to Aether World Cosmic University to study on how to be better than the Star Crusaders?" Kibahime asked, tilting her head quizzically. Athos stroked the nine-tailed fox spirit's head, saying, "To put it more accurately, the rest of you are successors to the Star Crusaders. The Crusaders of the Constellations. After all, a constellation is a group of stars that form a pattern in the sky." "Ah, so that means we will get the star-power?" Bai Tu asked. "But the Devourer negated or um, nullified our powers, so how are we gonna defeat him?" Shiba asked.

"Even if you don't have powers, you still can fight. And also, having powers may be wonderful, but it doesn't always mean that you're a hero. What makes you a hero is the bonds with the people around you and the virtues such as humility, kindness and courage that you have inside you," Ranald said to his classmates. "True. Your past must have made you see that" Heike commented, "And you have shown us the things you can do as a human." "So let's go to Earth and stop the Devourer!" Mayari said. The classmates agreed and ran to the entrance of the Devourer's fortress. They ran past the villains they defeated, with Malvor silently following them. By the time everyone reached the two spaceships, Husdent commented that at least, they're still in good shape. As the students entered the Wayfarer and the Shuttle, Malvor appeared to King Athos. "What do you want, now, sorcerer?" The king asked suspiciously. "Simple. One of your students told me how serving the Devourer of Worlds is a dangerous thing. He asked me what would happen if he decides to eat my world and where would I go. The others with me thought about it too. We decided that we will have nothing to do with the Devourer from today onwards," Malvor answered, and sighed.

"Looks like we have some fuel left," Samson said. Malvor offered to make a portal to where they might be heading. "We're going to Ranald and Mayari's world, Earth. The Devourer of Worlds plans to eat it," Athos told him. Malvor then told the king to get in the Dimensional Shuttle, and after Samson finished fuelling up the spacecraft, he entered the Dimensional Shuttle and took the driver's seat. Malvor used his magic to make a portal to Earth. "Just fly in this portal, and you will be there," he said. "There's no time to waste now," King Athos said to Husdent by intercom. The flame dog told Schiff to sail the Wayfarer into the portal. "Okay then," Schiff said as he sailed the space ship into the portal to Earth. Samson drove the Dimensional Shuttle into the portal to Earth while King Athos told the students in the Shuttle about Malvor the sorcerer's decision. "So he decided to help us after all he put me and my friends through? Looks like he did learn his lesson after all," Ranald said.

When they arrived at Earth, the planet was shrouded by a dark fog. The vessels entered the fog and with the help of the navigational tools installed on the Dimensional Shuttle and Dimensional Wayfarer, they landed near St Griffward Parish. The students disembarked from the spacecraft and saw that the town was destroyed except for the area where St Griffward Parish is. "It looks like the Devourer of Worlds is quite fussy when it comes to destruction," Ranald commented. He went to meet his parents in the church and asked them if they are okay. "We are okay. Ever since a giant snake appeared and destroyed this town, the people have turned against us. Lobong Ligaw and Buaya are fighting the Devourer of Worlds in the city," Belem told her son. "This thing appeared in another part of the world and caused a lot of damage before arriving here, having watched the news," Tithe said, "Besides, the people here don't want you to save them, and some had even made deals with the giant snake to be spared." King Athos sighed. "Such are the people who do not care for others. They are ungrateful to those who help them, and pull down those who want to succeed by working hard," he said. "Well, serving the Devourer of Worlds does not guarantee a happy ending," Samson stated.

Ranald remembered that he helped the people in the town before despite being mocked for his traits. He went to the orphanage connected to his parish to check on the children. He saw that they are crying and scared. "When will the monster snake go away?" One boy asked Ranald. He answered that the Golden Griffin Warrior would come to save the city. Mayari came too and consoled the children, and told them that they will do all they can to stop it. The rest of the students have to hide in the school as some of them were not humans. King Athos, Samson, Husdent and Cerynitis met Ranald and Mayari and told them that they must hurry to the city along with the students. "The people outside are too busy rioting and fighting each other to notice. Lead the students to face the Devourer of Worlds," the white reindeer informed them. Ranald and Mayari agreed and went to the school to bring the students to face the Serpent.

In the city near Ranald's town, the Devourer was wreaking havoc. Lobong Ligaw and Buaya turned into their animal forms to fight him but to no avail. The serpent knocked them out with his tail and slithered off to eat people. Meanwhile, some of Ranald's bullies, including Buaya and Lobong Ligaw's sons were running away when they came face to face with the Void Serpent. "Wha-what do you want?" one bully asked. "To thank you for all thesssssssssse negative feelings you gave dear Ranald," the Serpent smiled, grinning and showing his sharp teeth. "What do you mean?" another bully asked. "You tormented him along with thessssssse blassssssssssted sonssss of the two sssupers I fought and defeated. Now I feed on negative thoughtsss and feelingsssssss, and your bullying of Ranald gave me power. I have a wonderful reward for you. I open my mouth, and you jusssssst enter into it to claim it," the Devourer of Worlds said. "Okay then," Buaya's son agreed. The other bullies cautioned him, but to no avail. The Devourer of Worlds opened his mouth, as the bullies ran into it, hoping to find their reward. As soon as they reached his belly, suddenly, the Serpent shut his mouth. The bullies realized that they were tricked. "Let us out now, you monster!" Lobong Ligaw's son shouted from the monster's belly. "You fools agreed to it. Now, you will live with it!" The serpent said as he slithered around looking for Ranald.

Ranald and his friends and classmates found Lobong Ligaw and Buaya injured. "You must have brought a fine crew here to help, but are you sure that you can defeat this thing?" Buaya asked. "Rest assured, we will do our best, with or without superpowers," Ranald said. "Rest well, guys. We can handle this," Phrixus advised. "Alright then. I trust that you can handle the snake monster on your own even if you don't have powers," Lobong Ligaw said as he and Buaya turned back into their human forms. "I believe that you can do this," Buaya said, as they went off to find the hospital. Ranald and Mayari ran into an alley. Mayari held her silver pendant and was surrounded by white light. She became the Silver Deer Warrior, while Ra emerged from Ranald.

"I'll have to warn you. As the Negating Fog disabled my Dreamland abilities, when we fuse together, you won't be able to access your special moves. You'll only fly, use my natural weaponry and your Right Crystallized Arm that you can change into the Crystallized Swords," Ra said to his Earth Dimensional Mate. The griffin and human held hands and said, "I am you and you are me, together, we're the Warriors of Gold." A golden light with some white glows in it surrounded the two as they merged into the Golden Griffin Warrior. "Are you ready for this?" Mayari asked, adjusting her tiara. "Yes, and I'm fired up for this battle, though it won't be easy!" Ranald said, and he and Mayari flew to meet their classmates.

When the Devourer of Worlds saw a man in golden griffin themed armour and a woman in silver deer themed armour leading a lot of humans and some anthropomorphic animals against him, he smiled. "So this is the Golden Griffin and Sssssssssilver Deer prophesssssssssssized to defeat me. But their army issssssssssss useless and pathetic without powerssssssssss," he hissed. The Serpent summoned monsters to defeat the heroes, but they were offed by the two Warriors and their classmates. "Fighting with a schoolbag works wonders if you have the right masters to teach you how," Ranald as Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior remarked to Baby Little after beating the last monster. "You sure are right. It may not be easy, but fighting to save the world with your friends is worth it!" the angel in the baby griffin toy exclaimed. He then led his mentors to fight the Devourer of Worlds.

The Serpent was attacked by Phrixus and the other guides. "Eat this!" Asterion cried as he headbutted the Devourer's hide. "I know you ate some people, and it's not nice!" Aqua said as she punched his belly. The Hall Leaders, who are in human form due to King Athos's special watch used their weapons of the Solar System to assault the Void Serpent. Nergal took pleasure in jabbing the Serpent's hide with his spear, and Shani used the Scythe to slash the monster. Mayari shot arrows of light at the serpent's head, while Ra turned his Right Crystallized Arm into the Saw-Drill Blade, that spun like a drill. He ran the drill into the Devourer's stomach once Aqua went to attack another part of the serpent's body. The Void Serpent was very angry that despite the AWCU students having their powers nullified by his Negating Fog, they still continued to fight him, and even land some damage on him.

"You sssssshould be happy that I ssssswallowed thessssssse bullies for you," the Devourer said to Ra the Golden Griffin Warrior. "They may have been nasty to me, but I believe that they deserve a second chance," he said. "Ah, you have compassion for your enemiessssss. Ssssssssuch a pity. I will sssssssssshow you all what it meansssssssss to have no mercy!" the Devourer yelled. As the AWCU students were exhausted, Ra and Mayari flew to them. The Devourer's throat glowed a deep purple with some streaks of red and black in it. He unleashed a special move: Devouring Light. A purple and black laser beam shot out from the Serpent's Mouth at the students.

Ranald then leapt in front of the students, shielding himself with his schoolbag. His griffin wings then spread to shield them from the incoming laser beam. "You'll have to go through me first before you annihilate them!" he shouted at the Devourer of Worlds. Mayari joined him to protect their classmates as the Zodiac Wheel Shield appeared and then hovered in front of her. "Don't do this to yourself! We need you to lead us in the fight against the monster!" Phrixus shouted from behind as the AWCU students looked on in fear. Roka shielded some students with his wings while Kibahime curled her nine tales around Delmare and friends. "At least when we go, we go together," the fox spirit whispered. Delmare the water fairy could simply cry on one of the fluffy tails while Bai Tu froze at the sight of the approaching Devouring Light...

All of the students got caught in the blast. Now, they are severely injured, lying on the ground, and in a trench formed by the Devouring Light. "Its...It's over!" Phrixus sighed, hugging Chrysomallos, who lied down beside him, his golden wool and wings dirtied from the fight. "No, it's not. We're still alive, and what's important is that as dimensional warriors, we've made it so far as to stand together against our greatest adversary, the Devourer of Worlds," Ranald as Ra whispered to his first friend, turning his head towards Phrixus. "Are we...going to die here?" Bai Tu asked weakly. "No way, little bro, as long as we can stand up, there will be no problem at all," Delmare whispered, clutching her injured right arm. "You...called me little brother. It's...wonderful. I will never regret meeting you the first time we came to AWCU..." Bai Tu said, sitting up. Kibahime with golden fur now dishevelled, crawled up to her friends. She looked at the serpent, growling at him.

The Devourer of Worlds taunted the heroes. "No powerssssss, no way to defeat me. Hahaha, your doom is sssssssealed for ssssssure." "But as long as there is hope, we will get going!" Ra said as he stood up, having been injured by the monster though it's a good thing that his armour is intact, save for a few scratches and nicks. "Perhaps there will be a miracle that may turn the tides in our favour!" Mayari said while she picked up her tiara and placed it on her head. "I like that," Delmare said to her. "After all, we may have our abilities negated by you, we will still fight you to save the universe," she said to the Serpent. "You all are powerlesssssss to ssssstop me from devouring your world. Ssssssoon, I will devour all of the universsssssssssssse!" the Devourer of Worlds shouted.

Ranald's parents, along with Athos and his staff, went to the city. Seeing what happened to her son and his friends, Tithe and Belem cried and prayed to God that He would help them. King Athos and the staff went outside to hope that the other dimensions may remember the students who saved them.

In a world full of monsters from horror movies, Geri's father looked at a photo of himself and his wife and his son. Sensing that something happened to him, the mayor of the snowy werebeast town silently thanked his son's classmates for saving them.

A young lady in Hellenos was weaving clothes from the sheep's wool when she thought of her son Phrixus. She remembered him and his friend saving the sheep from Antaeus, and his asking her for woollen sweaters to give to his friends. She thanked Heaven for giving her son a circle of friends.

The world of elementals looked to the skies and asked if the people who saved them are still alive. In Aquatopia, Delmare's mother and father were having coffee together. "My daughter wrote to us that she once saved us fairies from a sorcerer and his island-eating monster with the help of her friends from university. I would like to thank them again if I had the chance," her mom told her husband. He nodded, and they looked to the azure sky above them.

In the nation of Savannar, two lions, the parents of Anbesa and Arye, were walking together in the palace gardens while watching the sunset when they felt a disturbance in their hearts. "Our sons...something terrible happened to them," the mother of the lion princes whispered. "Yet Heaven will save them," her husband assured her. "I am blessed that my dear Anbesa overcame his fears with the help of his human friend so that he can save more lives."

In Wu Dai, the official of the town Heavenly River thought of the students who saved him from Bia the witch. He asked Heaven to help the heroes, wherever they may be. The parents of Bai Tu and Huang He went to meet him. "Your children saved my town once, right? Heaven will help them, for I have a feeling that something bad happened to them," he told them. It was night time when they met. Bai Tu's father cried tears of joy when he thought of his albino son. He looked up at the black sky and saw that the stars were glowing. "Has Heaven answered our prayers?" his wife asked. "Yes..." Huang He's wife answered.

The constellations of Earth started to glow in many colours. The planets of the Solar System glowed too, each with a colour of their own. The Sun shone brighter than normal, and the Moon was bathed in white light. On Earth, in the city where the students of AWCU were injured by the Devourer of Worlds, Onuava felt the power of the Earth flow into her. "I think the miracle is coming!" she cried out. "Really?" Zenkuro asked. "We're weak and battered by the accursed Void Serpent. How is this possible?" "Well, lift your heads up," Onuava replied. Ranald heard her and looked up, as the Sun shone bright golden-yellow and white, shielding his eyes as it sent a ray of sunlight at him...

## Trivia

* While it may be strange that Ranald and Mayari seem to still have powers despite the Negating Fog, it may be because they are humans who can only access their powers by their trinkets (golden locket and silver pendant). The rest of the AWCU students have inborn powers, implying that Negating Fog affects those born with powers by removing them. Also, Mayari's Silver Deer Warrior form doesn't have any powers aside from shooting light arrows, while Ra mainly re-animated Ranald's body, serving as a spirit to his Earth Dimensional Mate and having the limitations of a normal human being such as having no powers, only accessing them with his Golden Griffin Warrior Form by inserting heart gems from Dreamland into his locket, until Ranald's spirit reunited with his body, making Ra his conscience.
* Continuing from the above, it means that the Negating Fog severely limits the powers of the alternate forms of anyone with them. For instance, with Ranald's spirit in his rightful body, Ra serves as his inner conscience which could mean that Ra as a Dream Defender was affected by Negating Fog before his fight with the Boogie-man possessed by his Earth Dimensional Mate's spirit. Perhaps why he allowed Ranald's spirit to be in the front, and simply merge with him to become the Golden Griffin warrior, since Ranald's spirit cultivated enough power to possess the Boogieman, use his abilities and know about Ra's powers, which have been limited by Negating Fog before being struck by star-power.
* Alternately, Ranald and Ra reuniting broke the Negating Fog's curse on them.