Dragons Rising: The Merge: The Rewrite

Rooftop Run

Author's Notes: 

Updates will slow down because my school play has started and I need to help out with that.

~✦ ✧ ✦ ✧~

Lloyd took in a deep breath and released it, taking in the view of the Crossroads bathed in a sunset from a rooftop.

Am I going to go through with this? It was that singular question that bothered him throughout the day. After using the morning to estimate where Arin and Sora were on a scale of 1-10 on offense, defense, and all that good stuff, he could only estimate that he would be in for a lot of pain. What was he thinking? He isn't Master Wu or Kai, or even anyone good at teaching! He knew it was going to be hard to teach, so why is he trying to teach?!

Lloyd felt his face flush as he thought back to that day's training. It was embarrassing, to say the least. Using what Skylor had, he managed to make a makeshift training course that Arin had excitedly completed(tried to) and Sora...not so much.

What am I doing wrong? Lloyd wondered, staring at the oranges and pinks in the sky. What if Kai was wrong? What if all of this is my fault? What if there was something I could've done to prevent this, but I didn't?

He shivered, but not from the cooling night. He shivered from thinking of all the moments when he could've done something to prevent another moment from happening.

And there were...a lot.

If only he were able to stop himself from opening the Anacondrai tomb.

If only he were strong enough to stop the Overlord instead of Zane sacrificing himself.

If only he were powerful enough to stop his friends from getting eliminated from the tournament.

If only—no!

Don't think like that! Lloyd scolded himself. Master Wu taught you better than to wallow in self-pity! Moping will do you no good!

Even so, the seed of doubt was planted and would only grow until he could not uproot it.

He sighed and laid back, watching as the stars slowly faded into view.

Let's start with the questions: First of all, what is the Merge?

The Merge is the catastrophic event that ended with all of the sixteen realms colliding and becoming one. Why did it happen?

Only Grandpa knows.

Why does Sora have elemental powers? Why does Arin have elemental powers? Why do they not have any elemental powers in their bloodlines?

Sora's elemental powers have something to do with technology, and Imperium seems to have a lot to do with tech—perhaps it was a gift unto their people? But she did mention that no one could've had her powers.

Now that he thought about it, Arin's elemental powers reminded him of Master Wu's elemental powers. They both had the same golden glow to their spinjitzus.

Maybe there were similar elemental powers in different realms, and when all the realms were merged, the elemental powers left their original realm to find new masters? Sounds plausible. But Arin's elemental powers only bear resemblance to Master Wu...

Lloyd shook his head before he could continue that thought. That was a thought for later.

Next question: How was the entire Crystal Village transported safely, whereas other areas were decimated during the Merge?