It was dark. Too dark to his liking. He could not tell where he was. There was just darkness as far as he could see. He put his hands up to his face and then took them away, trying to fool himself into thinking that the darkness was caused by his hands, but the darkness did not disappear.

Fear started to grow inside Boomerang's gut as he desperately searched for an escape to the darkness. Suddenly, a voice spoke to him, "Do not be afraid."

Boomerang whirled around, but there was nothing behind him. Nothing beside him. Nothing above or below him. Where had the voice come from? He whispered to himself, "Which way did I go?! This isn't Hell!!"

"No. I prevented you from going anywhere," came the voice again. This time, Boomerang could make it out just enough to tell that it was a male's voice.

Boomerang said nervously, "O-Okay, Zed. This is one of your tricks isn't it?" He got no reply. "Uh...Jack? C'mon, don't scare me like this!" Once again, there was no reply. "Matt! Damn, you! I figured it was you and one of your practical jokes!" No reply came. "Y-You're not Matt are you?"

"No. You do not know me, and you will not know me for another seven years," the voice answered.

Boomerang asked, his fear only growing, "Wh-Wh-Who are you?!"

"I am an entity from a far off planet. A planet that a friend of yours knows of."

"A g-g-ghost?!?!"

The voice laughed, "No. I am the messenger of the gods of that planet. Now, let me explain. When you fell from Mount Zenom, you died instantly when you hit the ground. When you died, I transported your conscience and your soul here, preventing you from going either way, up or down."

"Wh-Why?"

"You are needed."

"H-How long have I been dead?"

"One week. One Filgaian knows of my doings and is already setting a plan to resurrect you."

"Who?"

"Someone that you know. Do you not remember a 'blind' girl who was present at your own execution? A girl from whom strange energy seemed to radiate from?"

The truth hit Boomerang like a bolt. "Alicia!"

That was what Boomerang's tombstone read. Lying in front of the tombstone was the Sabre Fang as sort of a tribute to the deceased demon. It was about a week after the Dream Chasers had found Boomerang's body at the base of Mount Zenom. Upon returning to Adlehyde, they had immediately buried him. However, ever since the funeral, Noble Knight and Zed had ended up crying themselves to sleep every night. They seemed to be the ones taking Boomerang's death the hardest. Even Matt, Boomerang's best friend, was not taking it as hard as they were. A depressed Lucied now stayed with an equally depressed Zed while Seph tried unsuccessfully to cheer up Noble Knight every day.

Noble Knight and Zed visited Boomerang's grave at least twice every day. One day ago, Zed had gotten up enough courage to tell the other Dream Chasers about his first dream. No one, especially Alicia, could believe that his dream had come true. They had expected that if anyone would have a dream like that, it would have been Alicia. Zed's nightmares stopped for a while, but when he did dream again, his third dream was the most horrible of all...

Boomerang yelled, his voice low and rumbling, causing Zed's fear just to grow, "Well, you won't be making anymore 'fatal' mistakes, 'cuz the devil, himself, sent me to fetch you!!!!" With that, he let out a loud, bone-chilling roar and swung his clawed hand at Zed, aiming for his throat.....

Zed screamed and bolted upright in his bed. The sheets were drenched in cold sweat as was he. Tears stained his face and his breathing was coming out in gasps. Lucied looked up at him and whimpered. He slowly climbed out of his bed and walked into the halls of Adlehyde castle, Lucied right behind him. He made his way to the kitchen, dragging the Doom Bringer behind him, its blade scraping the floor.

When he got to the kitchen, he was a little surprised to see Noble Knight there as well. Underneath the table that she was sitting at was a snoring Seph. Lucied trotted over to him and bumped him with her head, waking him up instantly. She whimpered and lay down beside him. Seph sighed and lay a paw over her before going back to sleep.

Noble Knight asked as Zed sat down beside her, "You couldn't sleep, either?"

Zed responded, "I had another nightmare." That definately sparked Noble Knight's intrest, and Zed told her about his latest nightmare. When he finished, the silver-haired warrior let out a shrill whistle.

Noble Knight spoke, "Well, that one doesn't sound like one that might come true." Zed had to agree with her. His first two dreams had involved a book appearing between each vision.

Whoa! Wait a minute!! he thought, recalling what had happened in the dreams, A book. A book that seemed to hold magical powers... "That's it!" he suddenly yelled, startling the other three Dream Chasers in the room.

Noble Knight had to ask, "What's it?"

"My first two dreams involved a book that seemed to hold magical powers," Zed explained, becoming excited for some reason that he never found out, "That book had to be the 'De La Metalica'!!"

Noble Knight thought about it and slapped her forehead, growling, "Gods above!! You're right! Damn...we have got to find that book before..." Her voice trailed off as she looked past the doorway to the kitchen and into the hallway. Zed followed her gaze and was fairly surprised at what he saw.

Alicia was tiptoeing through the hallways, her staff in one hand and two stone slabs in the other. She was heading for the castle gates. Zed muttered, his eyes narrowing with curiosity, "I wonder where she's going..."

Noble Knight responded, standing up and waking Seph and Lucied, "Only one way to find out. C'mon."

"But...what is she going to do? How's she gonna bring me back?" Boomerang asked the air in the void, hoping that the voice was still there to keep him company. Shortly after Boomerang had realized who the voice had been talking about, a hole in the floor of the void had opened up, allowing the demon to see what was happening in Adlehyde. He also quickly noticed that he could see his friends' thoughts, though he felt strange about prying into their minds. Because he could see his friends' thoughts, he had seen Zed's third nightmare.

Boomerang had been shocked as well. He would never try to kill his brother if he was able to control himself! Only if someone had cast Confusion on him or some other spell that would make him unable to see straight would he ever attack his friends. After he had seen the nightmare, Boomerang had set up a mental barrier so that he would not look into his friends' minds, though he sometimes forgot to keep his guard up.

The voice replied, "Watch and see."

Boomerang asked, "Why are Zed and Noble Knight following her?" No reply came. He guessed that the voice did not know how to answer.

Suddenly, Noble Knight's voice echoed throughout the void, reminding Boomerang that he could read her thoughts, "Boomerang...I miss you so much...If only I had told you how I feel about you when I had the chance..."

Boomerang stumbled backwards, blushing bright red underneath his visor. The male voice laughed, "Ah...I see you have just learned of Noble Knight's feelings toward you."

Boomerang stuttered, "I...I never knew! I..." His shock was somehow affecting his speech, for he could not say anything else.

The voice laughed again, "Of course, you did not know. You never bothered to tell her the way you feel about her. Therefore, you never learned of her feelings toward you."

Boomerang replied, "I was afraid she wouldn't feel the same way...I was afraid that..." Once again, his voice trailed off.

"No more words, warrior," the voice suddenly snapped, "You must get ready! Your resurrection is about to take place!"

Alicia listened carefully for any noises that would indicate that she was being watched. When she heard none, she placed the two stone slabs that she had been carrying on either side of the Sabre Fang. The love and time runes. She then closed her eyes underneath her sunglasses and chanted, "You who cross between sky and earth, come to my heed and grant my wish."

Meanwhile, Zed, Noble Knight, Seph, and Lucied were hiding in a group of bushes just a few hundred yards away from the blind girl, listening to every word she said.

Noble Knight whispered, "What is she doing?!"

She got no response. She glanced at Zed whose eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head. He whispered, his voice radiating fear and surprise, "Th-That's exactly what happened in my dream. The love and time runes were placed on either side of the Sabre Fang right in front of the tombstone."

As the runes, the Sabre Fang, and the tombstone attained a powdery-white glow, Noble Knight asked, "You mean that dream's gonna come true, too?!"

Zed only said two words over and over again: "Oh god...oh god...oh god..."

Alicia continued, bringing her staff in front of her, "You who oppose death, join together and call out in one voice." She then pointed one end of her staff at the tombstone and yelled, "RESURRECTION!!!!" A blinding, white light shot from the end of the girl's staff engulfing the runes, the weapon, and the tombstone.

Suddenly, a cry of pain errupted from the tombstone, trailing off into a loud, monstrous roar and then forming into the cry again. Alicia withdrew her staff, the light still pulsating around the tombstone. She then quickly picked up the runes and made her way back to the castle.

Zed, Noble Knight, and the two blue wolves bolted out of the bushes and over to the still glowing tombstone. All of a sudden, a figure fell at their feet as the stone ceased glowing. Noble Knight and Zed fell to their knees beside the cold, shuddering figure.

Boomerang weakly looked up at them. He was freezing and his strength was almost completely gone. He could barely make out Noble Knight's shape as she gathered him in her arms, tears of joy streaming down both her face and Zed's.

As his vison slowly returned, Boomerang smiled underneath his visor and said the first thing that came to his mind, "I'm hungry." Noble Knight, Zed, and Seph all laughed, unable to believe what was happening. Alicia was able to do this? Alicia, a little, blind girl, was able to resurrect Boomerang? It was almost unbelievable. Had they not been there and seen what had happened, the Dream Chasers would not have believed it.

His strength returning, Boomerang sat up and said to Zed, "Runt, as long as I can control my actions, I'd never try to kill you." Zed smiled and let out a half-hearted laugh, unable to keep himself from wondering how Boomerang had known about his dream.

Then, as Noble Knight and Zed helped Boomerang to his feet, he whispered to the silver-haired warrior, "I...feel the same way...about you..." She blushed slightly and looked away, embarrassed.

Zed, having not heard him, laughed, "How the hell are we gonna explain this to the others?" That caused all of them to burst into laughter.

Three days later, after Boomerang had gotten his strength back and Zed and Noble Knight had tried to explain what had happened, the two elite soldiers of Adlehyde castle, Boomerang and Noble Knight, set off to find the shadowy figures that had stolen the De La Metalica from the Curan Abbey. With them were Zed, Rudy, and Cecilia. The five of them, including Seph and Lucied, were heading toward Milama on horseback. After questioning the girls at the Curan Abbey over almost two weeks ago, Noble Knight and the others had learned that the figure that had stolen the De La Metalica had retreated to the southwest. The only thing southwest of the abbey was Milama.

Boomerang eased his horse into a slow canter as did his friends who were behind him. Upon joining the soldiers or knights of Adlehyde castle, a recruit was given a horse of his or her own which they could name themselves. Naturally, that meant a lot of horses were crowded into the stables outside the village, but there was plenty of room. Zed, too, had his own horse in the stables of Adlehyde, even though he was neither a soldier nor a knight.

Boomerang's midnight black stallion, Knightmare, was closely followed behind by Noble Knight's deep brown stallion, Spike, and Zed's palomino stallion, Charger. Behind them rode Rudy on his pure white stallion, Glacier, and Cecilia on her white and brown mare, Sandy. Also, Seph and Lucied ran up behind them, panting and nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

The five Dream Chasers had been riding at full gallop all day and now they were not far from Milama. Noble Knight called to Boomerang as she brought Spike to a slow trot, "Boomerang! We have to stop! We're gonna kill the horses if we don't let them rest soon!"

Boomerang sighed and made Knightmare veer to the left, heading toward a stream not far from them. He and the other Dream Chasers dismounted and lead the horses over to the stream. The horses happily drank the cool water, thankful for the rest. Zed yawned, sat on the ground beside a tree, and leaned against the tree trunk. The others did likewise, Boomerang and Noble Knight sitting beside a different tree while Rudy and Cecilia sat beside Zed. Before the three of them knew what was happening, Zed, Rudy, and Cecilia were fast asleep.

Noble Knight looked at them, then at Boomerang, and asked, "I...uh...never got a chance to ask you..." Boomerang looked at her. She continued, looking away and feeling slightly embarrassed, "How did you find out how I feel about you?"

Reluctantly, Boomerang explained what had happened after he had died. He told her about where he was and about the voice that had spoken to him. He also told her about being able to see into others' thoughts, feeling guilty about looking into hers. Boomerang quickly added, "But that's the only thing I saw! I swear!"

Noble Knight had not heard him that time. She was looking down at the ground, thinking hard about something. She finally said, "Boomerang...ever since you saved me in the Filmsphere two years ago, I've felt strange around you. After a while, I realized...I..." Her voice trailed off as she looked from the ground over to the sleeping forms of Zed, Cecilia, and Rudy.

"You...what?" Boomerang asked nervously.

Noble Knight responded, "I...think we'd better follow their example and rest up. We're gonna need all our strength if the second guy is stronger than the one that killed you." Boomerang sighed and nodded, wishing that she had finished her sentence. He looked over beside the stream where the horses, Seph, and Lucied were laying down to catch their rest.

Suddenly, he felt slight pressure on his left shoulder. Boomerang looked down to see Noble Knight's head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she drifted to sleep. A strange feeling rose inside him, and Boomerang slowly, trying not to wake her up, wrapped his left arm around Noble Knight's shoulders. Then, laying his head on top of hers, Boomerang, too, fell asleep.

Zed yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He was still lying against the tree that he had fallen asleep under. Rudy and Cecilia were on either side of him, also asleep. Beside a different tree about 100 yards away from him slept Noble Knight and Boomerang. Zed grinned mischeivously when he saw that Noble Knight's head was resting on Boomerang's shoulder, and Boomerang's arm was wrapped around Noble Knight's shoulders. He thought, grinning, I'm gonna harass Boomer about this for months!!

Zed yawned again and looked to the sky. At his guess, the five of them had been sleeping for about an hour and a half, for the sun was high in the sky by now. He stood up, stretched, and yawned, walking over to the stream to both wake up the horses and to get himself a drink of water.

Just then, Boomerang and Noble Knight woke up. Noble Knight looked at Boomerang's hand, reminding the demon where his arm was. Embarrassed, he immediately withdrew, his face becoming as red as the sky of Hell underneath his visor. Noble Knight yawned and crawled over to the stream to wet her dry mouth. Seph and Lucied got to their feet and stretched, Lucied pouncing on Boomerang who was just then standing up.

The demon shrieked, threw Lucied off of him, and ran toward the stream, the Guardian close behind him. Boomerang leapt into the stream, the water coming up only to his waist. Lucied whimpered and trotted over to Rudy and Cecilia to wake them up. Boomerang climbed out of the stream and sighed, "Thank god that Lucied's afraid of water..." Noble Knight and Zed burst into laughter.

Noble Knight spoke as Rudy and Cecilia joined her, Zed, and Boomerang by the stream, "Well, we'd better get moving before that other guy finds a new hiding place..."

The five Dream Chasers, Seph, and Lucied came to a lake into which the stream emptied. The lake was quite large, at least half a mile across. The stream poured into the lake from a small cluster of rocks, making it look like a miniature waterfall.

The horses began whinnying and becoming uneasy. Knightmare, who just so happened to be in the lead, suddenly neighed and reared up, almost causing Boomerang to fall out of the saddle. Boomerang yelped and wrapped his arms around the black horse's neck, holding on for dear life. Seph and Lucied sniffed the air and began growling.

Seph spoke, "There is something in the trees over there." He looked just to their right, to the right of the outcropping of rocks from which the stream poured into the lake. The Dream Chasers dismounted their horses and let them run. Noble Knight unsheathed her sword and slowly made her way toward the trees while the others readied their weapons.

She was almost to the trees when suddenly, a monstrous roar sounded, and she was hit square in the chest by a bolt of deep violet lightning. Noble Knight flew backwards and landed hard on her back on the ground, writhing in pain as violet electricity crackled over her body.

Boomerang dropped to his knees beside her and started to lay a hand on her shoulder, but he received a nasty shock when he did so. Clasping his burning hand, Boomerang's eyes narrowed as he looked into the patch of trees from which the lightning had come. Seph crouched down, extended his claws, and bared his fangs, growling.

A deep, booming voice shouted at the Dream Chasers, "Filthy, Dream Chaser scum! You shall never have the De La Metalica!!"

Boomerang growled, climbing to his feet, "We'll see about that...ATTACK!!" He, Seph, Zed, and Lucied charged toward the trees. Rudy fired his Prism Laser ARM into the trees while Cecilia cast Vortex and Break. Cecilia and Rudy stopped their onslaught when the first four Dream Chasers disappeared into the forest edge. Instead, the two of them ran to help Noble Knight who was just then beginning to recover from the lightning attack.

Roars, cries, and clashes came from the woods. Boomerang, Zed, and Seph suddenly screamed while Lucied howled. Then, the four of them abruptly flew out of the trees following a flash of violet light, all of them glowing with the purple electricity just as Noble Knight had.

Suddenly, a streak of black burst from the trees, picked Zed up, and flew into the air with the green-haired swordsman in his clutches. It was then that they could see what their attacker looked like.

He was basicly a humanoid wolf with dark blue fur and black, penetrating eyes who wore deep blue and black armor. He had large, leathery wings which he used to keep him aloft. One of his muscular arms was holding Zed by the back of his light-weight armor and another was holding an intimidating, dark blue sword.

He spoke, sending shivers up the Dream Chasers' spines, "Let this be a lesson to you. No one crosses Choraan, the lord of nightmares, and lives!!" He pulled his arm back.

"NO!!!!" Boomerang yelled, throwing the Sabre Fang at the Dream Chasers' attacker, but he was too late. The humanoid wolf drove the blade of his sword straight through Zed, the blade entering high in his back and exiting through the center of his chest. He went limp and the humanoid wolf released him. Zed fell, landing with a big splash in the middle of the lake. A scarlet red cloud appeared in the water where he sank.

"ZED!!!!!" everyone yelled, but none with so much despair as Boomerang. Meanwhile, the Sabre Fang had gone past the wolf and turned in midair to return to Boomerang, but it struck the humanoid wolf's belt, cutting loose a large, three-inch thick book. The book fell to the water, sinking in the exact same spot that Zed had disappeared in. The humanoid wolf yelled, "No!! The De La Metalica!! You will pay dearly for this, mortal!!" With that, he flew away.

Boomerang fell to his knees, speechless. His brother was gone. Silently, the visored demon vowed vengeance, both hatred and grief welling up inside his gut. He had only felt grief once before, but that was a long, long time ago, and he had hoped that he would never feel it again. Boomerang looked down at the ground and whispered, remembering their attacker's last words, "You've already done enough damage..."

Everyone was speechless, almost unable to believe what had just happened. They stayed there for a while before Noble Knight finally got Boomerang back to his feet. They called their horses and rode back toward Adlehyde, Rudy leading Charger, Zed's beautiful palomino. However, as they left, they were so caught up in their grief that none of them noticed when a white light flashed where Zed's body had sunk and bubbles of air began to rise...