Daisuke couldn't get the dream out of his mind. For the past two days, it was all he could think of. Since he was a child, he felt lost and alone. He was orphaned at six years old and never had any real friends. He felt no connection to anyone and always kept to himself. That is until he met him.
The day he met Daiki, he felt that he had met someone he had known forever, someone he was looking for his whole life. Since that day, his whole life started to change. He started to change.
He felt like he had some purpose although he wasn't sure what that was. He felt it in his own soul that he was meant for something great. That belief was more prominent when the whole school bullied Kairi Tsukino. When he was bullied, Daisuke was the only one who defended him.
Then the dream came. He had seen himself trapped in a beam of light, floating high above a house. He needed to know what that dream was telling him. What was his role in this world?
************
"I tire of your failures, Aquamarine." said Thanatos.
"You will not have to worry too much longer, my lord," Aquamarine said, "I have almost found the key."
"This is your last chance, Aquamarine," warned Thanatos, "Do not return to me until you have the key in your possession."
"You will be free, my lord," pledged Aquamarine, "I know where and how to find the key. I just need to distract the Crusaders and the Star Ninja long enough to take it."
************
Toma had been in a daze all day. Ever since that day, he couldn't stop thinking about that dream he had. It felt too real, almost like a forgotten memory. But Toma knew he had never been to such a place.
The dream took all of Toma's thoughts that he didn't listen to anything Daiki or the others were talking about. It was when Daiki gave a playful slap on his shoulder that Toma snapped back into reality.
"Hey Toma," said Daiki, "You ok? You were spacing out."
Toma couldn't explain the dream as much as he wanted to tell Daiki about it. But something inside him was whispering Not Yet. As if there was something more attached to that dream that no one can know, not even Daiki.
"Sorry," Toma answered, "It's just with what happened that day with the chemical spill, my mind has been all over the place."
"Well," Kairi interjected, "If you're feeling sick, I can recommend a few doctors to check out."
"I'm fine," Toma replied, "It's just that it seems too weird that something like that would happen."
Toma kept playing the dream over and over in his head, it felt familiar to him but he couldn't understand why. The temple-like palace, the gardens, even the two men in the garden all felt as if Toma had witnessed these events before.
If it wasn't for that weird light that caught him off guard, he would've seen more. It felt as if someone had placed a giant spotlight on him and kept him trapped. He suddenly saw who else was there. Daiki and Daisuke were there. He saw them plain as day.
"If you don't mind," said Toma, "I am going to head home."
"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Daiki.
"No, that's ok," answered Toma, "You guys stay and have fun. I'll see you in school tomorrow."
"What's up with him?" asked Joichiro.
"I don't know," Daiki answered, "Maybe we should follow him. Just to make sure he's ok."
Joichiro and Kairi both nodded in agreement and followed Toma from a distance.
Daiki had a suspicion that this may be tied to the pillar of light that appeared in their last battle. It appeared in the vicinity of Toma's house, which made Daiki even more protective of his best friend. As much as Daiki didn't want it to be true, Aquamarine's next target may be Toma.
************
Aquamarine waited at the location of the light that guided her to the Key that would free Thanatos. She waited patiently as she saw people passing by. She needed to be ready for when the Key appeared and when the Zodiac Crusaders interfered.
"Come forth, Dark Spell, Manticore!"
Out of the shadows, a monster resembling a tribal warrior chief and a lion emerged. Its fiery red eyes glowed with a menacing hunger for blood.
"Now," Aquamarine said, "We wait for the Key and those annoying Crusaders to show."
Aquamarine knew her chances with Thanatos were dwindling by the day. She had to find the Key and fast.
************
Daisuke had wandered around most of the day, contemplating what he saw in the dream. He wandered without thinking and he saw he was in the area where he was trapped in the pillar of light from the night before.
"Why am I here all of a sudden?" Daisuke asked himself.
Around the corner, he saw a familiar face appear. Daiki's friend Toma. He seemed troubled, deep in thought. Daisuke recognized the look on Toma's face. It was the same look he had seen in the mirror ever since that day.
Something inside him told him to check on him. "Hey, Toma," he called out to him.
Toma looked up and saw Daisuke approaching him. "Daisuke," he called, "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know," answered Daisuke, "I was walking around and just found myself here."
Before Toma could say anything, a pillar of light flashed and had Toma trapped. "Wha- what's going on?"
"TOMA!!" shouted Daiki as he came running with Joichiro and Kairi.
"Daiki," Toma called out to his best friend, "Help me!"
"Finally I found you," Aquamarine said as she appeared from the shadows. "And now you're mine."
"We can't transform in front of Toma and Daisuke." said Joichiro.
Aquamarine moved closer to Toma who was still trapped in the pillar of light while Daiki, Joichiro, and Kairi were trying to figure out how to fight Aquamarine without revealing their identities. Aquamarine was inches away from grabbing Toma.
"We have no choice," said Daiki, "Scorpio Constellation Power, Armor On!"
Aquamarine, Toma and Daisuke looked on in shock as Daiki transformed into Crusader Scorpio.
"So," Daisuke whispered, "It's you."
"Well, well, well," Aquamarine raved, "You just made my job easier. And I assume you two are Crusaders Taurus and Cancer? Manticore, come forth!"
Manticore appeared beside Aquamarine and growled hungrily towards the trio.
"Stupid Daiki," Joichiro muttered under his breath, "Taurus Constellation Power, Armor On."
"Cancer Constellation Power, Armor on."
With all three Crusaders suited up, they rushed forward to fight Manticore. However, Manticore removed three feathers from his headdress and threw them at the Crusaders. Scorpio and Taurus were hit but Cancer deflected the feather with his glaive. Scorpio and Taurus then began dancing a tribal ritual dance.
"What are you guys doing?" asked Cancer.
"My body is moving on its own." said Scorpio.
"That thing is controlling us." said Taurus.
I got this," Cancer told himself, "Cancer Water Spiral, Spin." Cancer launched his attack on Manticore, but Aquamarine waved her hand and directed the attack away from Manticore.
"You thought to defeat me using my element," she chimed, "You're nothing but a weakling."
"He's not alone." said Daisuke.
Aquamarine looked over at him and laughed, "What can you possibly do?"
As if answering her, Daisuke's shadow began to move. It was originally behind him but it moved to be a huge circle underneath him. The shadow then began moving up towards him, covering him entirely. Suddenly he became a familiar figure.
"You?!" shouted Aquamarine.
"Daisuke?" whispered a struggling Scorpio.
"Star Ninja?" said Cancer aloud.
"Targetting a defenseless person like this is unacceptable. I am the mysterious boy clad in Heavenly Darkness, Star Ninja."
Before anyone could react, Ninja threw two golden star shurikens. One aimed at Aquamarine which she dodged, and the other hit Manticore on his head.
Manticore growled in pain as the shuriken struck him, releasing Scorpio and Taurus.
"Let's end this." Scorpio said.
"Manticore," Aquamarine commanded, "Retreat for now."
Both Aquamarine and Manticore vanished into thin air, and Toma was set free.
"Toma," said Scorpio as he changed back to Daiki, "Are you alright?"
"Daiki," Toma responded, "You're a superhero?"
"Yeah," Daiki told his best friend, "About that…"
"Until next time Crusaders," said Ninja as he reverted back into Daisuke, "I suggest keeping a close eye on your friend there."
"Wait," Kairi called to Daisuke, "Thanks for saving us."
"It's what I do," replied Daisuke, "Now I know the faces behind the masks."
"Are you a friend or foe?" asked Joichiro.
"Friend obviously." answered Daiki.
"To be honest," answered Daisuke, "I do not know. We might be enemies, we might be friends. But we do share a common enemy."
"Aquamarine." Kairi replied.
"Whatever her goal is," Daisuke continued, "She needs your friend to reach it. Protect him at all costs." With that Daisuke left.
************
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!" shouted Cosmo.
"We didn't have much choice," answered Daiki, "Aquamarine was going to take Toma for whatever reason. We couldn't let that happen."
"While I do commend you on your willingness to protect your friends, Daiki," Cosmo added, "Now your identity is discovered. Toma could be in worse danger now, not to mention Joichiro and Kairi."
"On the bright side," Joichiro chimed in, "We now know the identity of Star Ninja."
"Yes," Cosmo replied, "But what he said troubles me. He didn't confirm he's our enemy, nor did he deny it."
"Could he be another Zodiac Crusader?" asked Kairi.
"It could be possible," answered Cosmo, "I sense a power in him similar to yours. But his sign hasn't responded."
"That could be because I have it." said Daiki.
"How do you know?" asked Cosmo.
"When we first met," Daiki explained, "He told me that his birthday was the same as mine. October 24."
"And we already have a Crusader Scorpio," said Cosmo, "Could it be?"
"What?" asked Joichiro.
"He might be our Great Ruler," explained Cosmo, "His power and yours are similar so that's how he could be related to us if anything."
"But what about Toma?" asked Daiki.
"That's what's strange about all this," said Cosmo, "I don't sense any power from you at all. So the question remains. What does Aquamarine want with you?"
"I'll ask Daisuke what he knows," said Kairi, "I know where he lives."
"Find out what he knows," Cosmo ordered, "If he is an ally or our Great Ruler, he should know something about Aquamarine."
Kairi left the command center and proceeded to Daisuke's home.
Daiki, Joichiro," Cosmo ordered, "Take Toma home and keep watch over him. Aquamarine will come after him again."
"We'll be ready for her." said Joichiro.
Daiki turned to Toma, "I won't let anything happen to you."
"Thanks," Toma said, "And don't worry," he said to Cosmo, "I won't tell anyone about you guys."
************
Daisuke couldn't believe what he had done. He discovered his power the day he saw Daiki perform as Alex Sasori. He saw Alex appear on stage and then Blob appeared to capture the crowd. He saw Scorpio appear and fight the monster but was struggling to defeat it. It was then that something inside him awoke and he felt the shadows around him cover him in his ninja suit. He threw his golden shurikens and saved Scorpio.
He knew deep down that Aquamarine was the enemy but didn't know what to make of Scorpio or the other Crusaders for that matter. Could they be his rivals and not enemies? He still didn't know what to think about that.
A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He went to answer it to find Kairi Tsukino on the other side.
"Tsukino," said Daisuke, "What are you doing here?"
"I came here to talk," answered Kairi, "I'm here alone."
"Come in." Daisuke offered.
"I came here to ask you if you know anything about Aquamarine."
Daisuke sat down and just like Daiki, he felt he could be open and honest with Kairi. "I don't know anything except that she summons monsters to target people. For what reason I don't know. But I feel compelled to fight her like you guys do."
"We thought you could be a fellow Crusader," Kairi added, "But…"
"You already have a Scorpio," Daisuke finished, "So I don't think I'm one of you."
"That much we gathered," replied Kairi, "But she is your enemy as well as ours. And if the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"Are you proposing an alliance?"
************
On the way to Toma's house, Toma recounted all the strange occurrences he had since the Idol audition. Toma was in the plaza when Alex Sasori was going to perform when Blob attacked. He was investigating the park for Ayumi's sister but was chased out of the park by zombies and ended up hurting his hand in the process. He didn't admit that part mainly because he didn't want to seem like a coward in Daiki's eyes.
"I'm glad you didn't get caught," Daiki explained, "If you were, Aquamarine would've carried out her plans, whatever they are."
Joichiro stops and motions for the others to stop as well.
"Joichiro," Daiki called out, "What's the matter?"
"I'm sensing an evil presence."
Daiki and Joichiro get into a defensive stance and keep Toma in their sights. They hear a sinister laugh echo all around them.
"Aquamarine," Daiki called out, "She could be anywhere"
Joichiro and Daiki flanked Toma, prepared for Aquamarine and Manticore.
Then from the corner of their eyes, Aquamarine appeared.
"You can't have him," Daiki said, "Whatever it is you're planning, it stops now!"
"We'll see," replied Aquamarine, "Now!"
Aquamarine shouted her command but Daiki and Joichiro were too late to realize Manticore's feathers were flying toward them.
The feathers found their target and both Joichiro and Daiki were Manticore's puppets.
Aquamarine grabs Toma, "Now you're going to open the gate for me and free Lord Thanatos."
"Who?!" asked Toma.
"Toma!" Daiki tried to reach out but his body could not move.
"Cancer Water Spiral, Spin!"
Cancer's attack went straight to Manticore and destroyed his headdress. Joichiro and Daiki were suddenly free.
"Suit up, guys!" shouted Cancer.
"Scorpio Constellation Power"
"Taurus Constellation Power"
"Armor on" shouted Joichiro and Daiki together as they transformed.
"Cancer, Taurus," commanded Scorpio, "Take on Manticore. I got Aquamarine."
Taurus and Cancer nodded in agreement and charged towards Manticore. Scorpio made his way toward Aquamarine.
Taurus slashed his sword at Manticore, cutting off his headdress while Cancer jumped over Taurus and kicked Manticore away.
"Cancer Water Spiral, Spin!" Cancer used his attack to completely destroy the headdress. "Now he can't control us."
Manticore angrily growled at Taurus and Cancer and charged to fight them. Taurus and Cancer also charged towards their opponent.
Meanwhile Scorpio was battling Aquamarine with great difficulty. He charged towards her and with a wave of her hand, pushed Scorpio telekinetically against a wall.
"You will not stand in my way, Crusader Scorpio," said Aquamarine, "I will use your friend to free Lord Thanatos and unleash Chaos upon the world." A blue ball of energy appeared in her hand. "Now, die you meddlesome brat." She throws the energy ball at Scorpio.
Two golden streams of light flash through. One hits Aquamarine's energy ball, which destroys it. The other strikes Aquamarine's hand which she was using to telekinetically hold Scorpio.
Scorpio fell to the ground and Star Ninja came to his side.
"Ninja?!" Scorpio shouted.
"I couldn't leave you to fight her alone." said Ninja.
Aquamarine, who was kneeling on the ground in pain due to the shuriken lodged in her hand, took out the star-shaped blade and cursed, "Damn you, Star Ninja. I'll destroy you both."
"We'll see about that." said Ninja. He rushed in to fight Aquamarine head on.
Both she and Ninja seemed evenly matched. One would attack and the other would block. It was when Aquamarine used her wounded hand to attack that Ninja grabbed her arm and applied pressure to it, causing her pain.
"Scorpio," he said, "Finish her!"
Scorpio summoned his weapon and charged it, "Scorpio Harpoon Stinger!"
Scorpio threw his harpoon bolt directly towards Aquamarine. Before it could reach her, she waved her other hand and pulled Manticore from his battle with Taurus and Cancer and used him as a shield against Scorpio's attack. Manticore began melting into black goo as Scorpio's bolt hit him.
Aquamarine then broke free from Ninja's grasp, turned and kicked Ninja in the stomach, knocking him back. Once free, she vanished into thin air, only to reappear next to Toma.
"You're coming with me." she said as she grabbed him by his shirt.
"TOMA!!" Scorpio yelled as he ran towards them, but he was too late. Aquamarine had taken Toma.
************
Toma was tied to a cross in the center of a magic circle. He struggled to break free but to no avail. "What do you want from me?" he asked, frightened of the answer.
"Your life force will open the gateway to free Lord Thanatos from his prison and the Zodiac Crusaders will be destroyed once my lord releases Chaos upon the world," she said with a maliciously gleeful tone, "And once he's free, I shall rule the world by his side."
Aquamarine laughed deviously as poor Toma tried hopelessly to free himself from his bonds.