Akira stepped through the old trapdoor on to the roof, her sword hanging comfortably by her side once again. Redemption stood, glaring at the riders that stood cowering in one corner, yet upon realizing that his rider was back he spun around to face her, the riders behind him having to duck as he carelessly swung his tail over them, almost knocking them over. Yet as Redemption's eyes set alight on the shaking Nemis, who crawled out behind Akira, his eyes took on a fierce glint. 

"Can I throw him off the roof?" Redemption asked, his eyes turning to Akira, hope in them. 

"Ree," Akira replied with an exasperated sigh. 

"What?" Redemption asked innocently. 

"Nemis, has kindly agreed to co-operate," she told him, saying it extra loud so that all the Watchers could hear her. 

Redemption narrowed his eyes as he glared at Nemis who kept his head down. 

"Really?" he asked, sounding as though he was in doubt. 

Akira nodded, holding up the scroll she had made Nemis sign. "He even wrote us some new laws," she said innocently. 

"Fine," Redemption muttered, "What now?" 

"I think," Akira winced, "That we go visit the dragon market with Nemis, I'm sure it's a good place to let the new law be known," she turned her eyes on Nemis. "Anyone disagree?" she asked staring right at him. "Good," she smiled when Nemis did not say a word. "Now Redemption, how about you let Dominique know where to meet us? And tell him to bring the rest of the council along to." 

"Sure. A market means a big crowd," Redemption thought, happy at the thought of being the center of attention. 

Akira shook her head. Some things, she decided, never changed.

They were above the market in no time. Nemis sat before Akira, something that Redemption had been against, yet Akira had told him it was either that or risk him running off on his own dragon. In the end Akira had persuaded Redemption to listen to her and he had grudgingly agreed to let Nemis on his back. 

With Akira directing Redemption they began to make their decent, the Watchers from the roof not far behind them. If they came because of curiosity of the new law or just to accompany the dragon and rider of legend, Akira did not know. Yet she knew they would do her no harm and so she left it at that. They did not bother with fly zones but went directly towards their target, with Redemption's eyes darting around as he tried to take everything in, shooting questions at Akira the entire time, question she herself could not answer with her limited knowledge of the future. 

Yet when Redemption caught sight of the dragon market below he suddenly went still, horror, anguish and then pure anger filling him. Below two dragons were currently being driven towards a large, enclosed wagon. Yet as Redemption swooped down and landed in the middle of the courtyard all activity ceased and every eye turned to look at him, shock on most faces and some filled with awe. It was obvious that even though the dragon of legend had not been seen for five hundred years, everyone here knew who he was. 

As Akira easily slipped form Redemption's back he turned his head and growled at the Watchers that had been driving the two dragons towards the wagon. At once, the Watchers stepped back, fear and confusion on their faces. 

Ignoring them Akira nodded for Nemis to get down and he did as she asked without hesitation. As another dragon landed Akira turned to see that Dominique and Breeze had arrived, carrying one council member with them. The Watchers from the area were close behind, having given the rest of the council members a lift, the others just here out of curiosity. 

Seeing that everyone was here Akira gave a satisfied nod. She turned to Redemption, "Would you the honors?" she asked. 

Without replying Redemption walked towards the large cage that help the grown dragons, all of who had frozen to stare at the white dragon, hope in their eyes. No one stopped the great white dragon as he walked, each stride filled with purpose, in fact, everyone stayed out of his way, taking another extra step back just out of precaution. When Redemption reached the cage he opened his mouth. Flames spilled out and dragons moved back as the flames licked the cage bars. It took a moment before the bars suddenly turned red and then suddenly, began to melt. 

With a satisfied look Redemption stepped back, staring at the dragons within through the large hold he had made, as though encouraging them to come out. 

"Now listen here, and listen good!" Akira shouted. Every head in the square turned towards her. "I think," Akira turned to look at Nemis, "That on behalf of the council, Nemis has something to announce!" She walked up to him and thrust the scroll into his hands. 

Nemis took it and yet hesitated, as though debating whether or not to go through with it, yet as Redemption turned to glare at him he quickly began to unroll the scroll, his hands shaking. He licked his dry lips and looked up at the crowd that was staring at him expectantly, its numbers growing larger and larger as more people appeared, coming to see if the rumors about the rider and dragon of legend, that were spreading like wildfire, were true. 

Nemis stared back down at the scroll. "Let it be..." he began. 

"Louder," Akira told him. 

Nemis cleared his throat before he began again, "Let it be known throughout the lands," he boomed, "That from here on a new law is to be passed," he looked up at Akira who impatiently waved him on. "From here on..." he paused, as though not wanting to continue, yet then he thought better of it, "From here on the following practices and trades will become illegal." 

Murmurings began as the crowd couldn't help but wonder what was going on. 

"The selling and trading of dragons, both mature, young or in egg form..." 

The murmurings grew louder. 

"The forcing of a dragon to chose a rider, to work or to be used for entertainment against their will." 

Akira watched the crowds mixed reactions. Some, the traders and the rich mostly, seemed enraged, others looked confused while others, the newcomers mostly, were too busy staring at Redemption and the dragons from the cage that were leaving it, in awe to hear what Nemis was saying. 

"Dragons will from here on out be treated as our equals," Nemis continued, his voice shaking somewhat, "Anyone, who is found guilty of breaking any of those mentioned above will be breaking the law and will be found guilty, tried and punished." 

"You have no right to do this!" someone in the crowd yelled angrily at Nemis. 

"Yeah!" another voice agreed. 

"The council cannot do this!" someone else agreed. 

Akira stepped forward, her eyes flashing. "But I can!" she replied. 

Silence took over as all eyes turned to her and Akira had to fight the panic that rose within her at being the center of attention. Yet she managed to hide it, staring at the defiant crowd before her. 

"And who," one trader began with a sneer, "Are you?" 

There was a roar as Redemption stepped angrily towards the man, making him cower back in fear. "You dare talk to the rider of legend like that?" Redemption asked angrily, his thoughts for all to hear. 

The crowd gasped, some staring at Akira in disbelief, others in awe. 

"As the rider of legend she has spoken, and what she says is to be," Redemption continued, his nostrils smoking as he glared at the man who cowered before him. 

"Ree," Akira spoke softly, trying to calm her dragon down. 

Redemption turned from the man in a huff and went to stand by Akira's side who shot him a smile before turning to the crowd. 

"Dragons and riders have always been equals," she began softly, in the deadly silence everyone heard her. "I'm sorry that you were all mislead for years, but this," she waved her hand around, "Is not right." She turned and walked to the cage with the draglins in it. Pulling her sword she brought it down, cutting the lock as though it were nothing but a melon. She lifted the lid and as the draglins flew out, turned around to face the stunned crowd once again. 

"There is nothing more special about us that we deserve to treat dragons like this," she said, anger sparking in her eyes, "I have seen firsthand what you do to them, and it has left me grieved." 

A few people in the crowd hung their heads, seeming somewhat ashamed. Redemption watched, amusement flickering through him as Akira, the young rider that she was, scolded the crowd before her, some of whom where twice her age. 

"This is something not even Haiden would have dared to do," she continued, her eyes moving from one person to the next, "Even he, in all his evil, treated his dragon as an equal. Don't you understand what you have been doing is wrong? Do you not have a conscience?" 

The crowd was silent; most of them looking shocked, some looking horrified as what Akira had told them hit them. 

"So, you have returned from the dead to fix this wrong?" someone in the crowd whispered in awe. 

Akira couldn't help but smile, "Something like that," she agreed, not bothering to go into detail. 

"The rider of legend has returned to guide us!" a lady exclaimed excitedly. 

At once the murmuring began and the crowd began to surge forward, reaching out hands as though to try and touch Akira. 

"Ree?" Akira thought panic rising within her. 

"Get on," was his reply. 

Akira did as she was told, scrambling onto his back just as the crowd reached her, surrounding Redemption, reaching out hands to touch him, awe in their faces. Others reached out to touch Akira's feet, as trying to test if both dragon and rider were real. 

"You know," Redemption thought happily as he basked in the attention, "I could get used to this. It's taken them almost five hundred years but at least they've finally figured out how to treat a hero!" 

"They think I'm here to stay," Akira thought in reply, feeling somewhat shocked. "Are they right Ree, are we stuck here? Are we meant to stay?" even as she asked him, panic began to fill her, panic at the thought that she might never see Seth and the others again. 

"No," Redemption chuckled, "We belong in our own time." 

"And you can take us back, just like that?" Akira asked skeptically as she stared down at the faces that were turned up at her. The crowd was getting bigger every moment. 

Redemption turned his head to look at his rider in surprise. "Excuse you, but I think I can do a lot more than just being a ridiculously good looking, smart, sensitive, not mention extremely ferocious, intelligent..." 

"Still so full of yourself?" Akira interrupted him as she shifted, trying to ignore the crowd around her. 

Redemption glared at her, "It's not called being full of oneself, it's called appreciating ones qualities!" 

"Just get to the point," Akira replied sounding board when in truth she was amused and highly relieved at having her dragon around again. 

"The point is..." Redemption paused as though for dramatic effect, "I think I can handle taking us back five hundred years." 

"And when were you planning on telling me that you could travel through time?" Akira asked, her eyebrows raised. 

"I didn't know myself until I came here, but..." Redemption replied as he lowered his head. He closed his eyes as hands reached out and petted it. "Ah, this is so much better than setting things on fire," he sighed. 

"Ree, back to the topic please," Akira scolded softly. 

"Hm," Redemption replied, still not moving his head or opening his eyes. "I remember hearing that the fifth rider of legend disappeared for a time also," he mused, sounding somewhat distracted. 

"You think he time traveled to?" Akira asked breathlessly. 

"Possibly, yet he never told." 

"Why not?" Akira asked frowning. Surly something like that was something that needed to be recorded, it was important. 

"What we do in the past may affect the future. If you told them what it was like here, pretty boy's world could change, and not necessarily for the better." 

Akira sighed, knowing that her dragon spoke the truth. She shot the growing crowd a nervous glance and yet stayed put, allowing Redemption to bask in the attention. 

"I do recall hearing that the dragon and rider of legend could change the future, yet up to now, I always thought that it had to do with defeating Haiden..." 

"When in fact it could mean actually time traveling," Akira finished off for him. "Yet if it is the dragon and rider of legend who can do so, then how did Dominique call me here?" 

"I think you've already guessed it," Redemption replied as he opened his eyes and withdrew his head from the crowd, proudly arching his neck instead so that the sun caught his scales and reflected off them. Slowly he began to walk forward, the crowd parting for him and yet falling in right behind him to follow. 

"My sword, being in a place I was in the pas....yet it didn't work the first time, was there something we missed?" Akira asked. 

"Pretty boy thought it was his blood, he cut himself that time he called you forth," Redemption replied. 

"So his blood was all we needed?" 

"No," Redemption told her sounding somewhat amused. 

"What do you mean?" Akira asked. "I mean we tried it, when we didn't include Dominique's blood it didn't work. You said it yourself, when he did call you forth he used his blood!" 

"So he thinks, but it's not blood." Redemption replied smugly. 

"Then what is it?" Akira asked. 

"A strong will and utter sincerity," was Redemptions reply. 

"Huh?" Akira wrinkled her forehead. 

"That was what called you and then me forth," Redemption told her. 

"That doesn't make..." 

"Think about it Akira. Did he really believe I would come when you were with him trying to get me to come to this time, or was he just doing it to try and please you?" 

Akira stared at her dragon, realization filling her. He was right. "So, anyone with a strong will could do it," she murmured. 

"I don't think so," Redemption replied as he turned to look at his rider once more, amusement in his eyes at Akira's blank stare. "You see, I have a feeling that there are two reasons that he was able to call you. The first is that I think you could have resisted traveling....well to the future, but you didn't, and you willingness to go helped." 

"But...I did try to resist!" Akira burst out. 

"Did you really?" Redemption asked. 

Akira frowned as she stared out at the crowd and yet did not really see them. Was Redemption in his right mind or had the whole time traveling thing affected his mental state? She wondered if she needed to ask Brandon if they had such a thing as dragon counseling, she was sure Redemption might need it when they got back. 

Redemption just chuckled as he read her mind. "I'm sure you think you tried to resist Akira when you felt yourself being tugged away from our time. But I think somewhere deep down inside, even if you didn't realize it, you had the instinct that you needed to go and help, and your willingness to go made this all possible." 

"So what's reason number two?" Akira asked as she turned to look over in Dominique's direction. He was sitting on top of Breeze, a dazed look on his face as though he couldn't quite believe anything that had happened, as he followed along, some way behind. 

"The second took me a while to figure out," Redemption continued, "Yet after a while I figured it out. You see had the cycle with the dragon of legend continued on after us, I believe that Dominique would have been chosen by a dragon of legend as his rider." 

Akira's mouth fell open as she still stared at Dominique. "You mean he would have been the rider of legend for this time?" 

"That is what I believe," Redemption nodded. "Even though after us no more dragons of legend are...or should I say were born after me, the riders they would have chosen are still there throughout the times. And I believe that even without their dragons, they each have something more to them than an ordinary person. I think that that something more with Dominique has to do with possibly affecting time, though to do so he will need something of yours or mine." 

"Oh," was Akira's reply, she could not say more as her mind tried to wrap itself around what Redemption had just told her. 

"And you want to know something else?" Redemption continued, not bothering to wait for an answer before he continued, "I'm sure if you had tried to call me to this time yourself I would have been here a lot faster." 

Akira stared ahead, her mind not registering what her eyes were seeing of the path Redemption was walking, she was too deep in thought to even hear the crowd anymore. "You're saying that if I had tried to call you in that field instead of Dominique that time, it would have worked?" 

"Most definitely," Redemption thought. 

"All that heartache, all those deaths," Akira murmured, "They could have all been prevented..." 

"Everything that happens, happens for a reason," Redemption told her softly. "The important thing to learn from this is that if I'm with you or not, you should never lose sight of who you are." 

"I did back there, didn't I," Akira agreed, feeling disappointed with herself. How could she have forgotten? After everything she and Redemption had been through, how could she have let it all go? 

"Why do we fall?" Redemption spoke softly, "To get back up and learn not to fall the same way next time." 

Akira smiled, yet as a sudden thought bit her, her heart suddenly speed up, hope filling her. "So...since we can add time traveling to what we can do," she began. "How about going back to the past and change a few things?" hope filled her as she thought of her family. She could bring them back, avoid the whole incident in the village where they had lost their lives. Dominique's eyes met Akira's, a questioning look in them, yet Akira did not see him as hope of seeing her family filled her. 

"Akira," Redemption scolded softly, his mood turning serious. 

Akira shot him a questioning look at him. 

"We cannot do that," he told her softly as he turned into a random ally and began to walk down it, the crowd close at his heels. 

"What do you mean?" Akira frowned. "Ree, we can TIME TRAVEL! We can go back and change everything for the good. We could go back to the begging and stop Haiden right at the start, we could..." 

"Akira," Redemption cut her off firmly. "Everything that happened has happened for a reason," he told her softly. "I know you want to go back. I know you want to save your family but..." 

Akira felt her heart drop, she could already guess what Redemption was going to say and even though she didn't want to hear it, she knew that he was right. 

"If we did go back we could change everything for the good but, Akira, we could also make it so much worse, we can't take that risk," Redemption told her. "No matter how much we want to, we cannot go back and change the past. It has to remain as it is." 

Akira let out a sigh, one of regret, yet not of anger. Redemption was right. "Wait till I tell the others at the academy about this," she grinned. 

"You can't tell anyone about it," Redemption warned her, "It could change the future." 

"Ree, I was gone for months, what do you expect me to tell them when I get back? That I was off on holiday?" Akira asked sarcastically. 

"Just tell them to leave it," Redemption replied, "They're you friends, they'll understand." 

Akira frowned. How was she supposed to hide all of this from her friends? She didn't want to do that, and yet she knew that she had no choice. Letting out a sigh of regret she couldn't help but suddenly wish that she was away from this noisy crowd, back home in her own time. 

"We still have one or two things to do," Redemption told her as he glanced up at the sun that had passed the point of noon, "We must hurry. I have a feeling that we should leave soon." 

"I'm fine with that," Akira told him. "But how are we going to explain to our new fans that we will be leaving them?" she asked, gazing down at the crowd. 

"I'm sure they'll be heartbroken," Redemption thought in amusement. He walked forward and suddenly they were standing in a large market larger square where clothe and food stands where set up. Akira recognized it at once as the market Dominique had taken her to that first day she had come to the city. 

Redemption came to a sudden halt and the entire crowd behind him stopped, trying hard not to bump into him, yet even when a few did, Redemption didn't notice as his eyes wondered over all the different stalls and the different smells of food hit him. The place was almost abandoned, with most of the public and the stall owners behind him in the crowd. 

When Redemption took another step forward the entire crowd behind him followed. Letting out a sigh of exasperation he turned his head to glare at them, stopping them in their tracks. Sure that they had gotten his point, he continued to walk forward, the crowd staying where they were, their eyes following him. 

"So," Redemption thought, shooting a look back at Akira, "This is the future?" 

"Yup," Akira nodded in confirmation. 

Redemption let out a snort. "Well in that case, I'm not that impressed," yet his eyes suddenly lit up when they landed on one particular stall. "Actually," he trotted over to it, leaning his head down to stare at the wooden duplicates of a white dragon, "I like this place better already." 

Akira rolled her eyes as she watched Redemption cock his head at the figures. "Not bad, not bad at all. Though it is impossible to captivate my true potential," her dragon thought turning his head and shooting Akira a cheeky look. "Though I must say, you fighting in a dress, that's a new one," he sounded amused as he referred to the figurine of the rider of legend that stood beside the white dragon. 

"Ree," Akira groaned. 

"And what's this?" As Redemption turned his eyes on the figure of a black dragon and the rider beside it, his eyes narrowed. 

"Ree, come on," Akira told him, getting impatient as she shot a look back at the crowd who were still standing where they had left them. 

Redemption leaned in closer to the black dragon, examining its disfigured features, "Huh, they really gave him a makeover...I like it!" 

Akira tapped a finger on Redemption's back impatiently. 

"Now I wonder what..." Redemption leaned in closer. "Whoops!" he exclaimed as the black dragon figure caught fire and began to burn. 

"Ree!" Akira scolded, her dragon's smoking nostrils giving him away. 

"Well would you look at that," Redemption chuckled as the figure burned, "He looks better than ever." 

"That's it," Akira growled. 

Redemption turned his head and shot her an innocent look, blinking twice as though he had no idea what was wrong. 

"Before you destroy anything else, I think it's time we headed out," Akira told him sternly. 

Redemption nodded before he quickly shot a look at the black dragon which had been reduced to nothing but ash. "He looks a bit ashen," he joked. 

"Ree!" 

"Alright, alright," Redemption turned around his tail whipped around and miraculously hit only the figures of both the black dragon and rider, knocking them over. 

Akira glared down at her dragon with narrowed eyes, trying to look stern when really she felt like chuckling. Redemption just turned his head and gave her the, 'what did I do now' look. When Akira didn't respond he turned back to the crowd that was watching them. 

"So, what's next?" he asked.