2012-01-14T04:57:00.000-08:00

[ Guardian ]

{ Prologue }

“Fate and magic are interwined. They form the Veil, the basis of all life. They are inseparable, twisting around us, connecting us to one another, invisible to human eyes until the moment they die.

Yes, /they/, not /we/. For we are not wholly human. We have been touched by magic, every single one of you here. We are the Guardians of the Veil, so were your predecessors and their's before them. Our people have watched over the Veil, always have, always will.

As long as our lives are, we know that knowledge will inevitably be lost with every new generation of Guardians, so to prevent the loss of this important piece of information, seven of our most powerful Guardians came together to weave magic into this book, to preserve this words forever.

For you to read this is an honour. We want you to carry your name as Guardian with pride, live with honour, and use your powers for good.

For a time will come when a generation of Guardians will be tested to their limits, and only time will tell if any of our kind will emerge from this test alive.

A prophecy has been foretold by our Readers, a prophecy so terrible that in the wrong hands, it could place the world in danger. A prophecy that, if left unheeded, could result in the end of the Guardians, magic, fate and life itself.

“On the year of the Dragon, the Fallen shall once again rise, and ride forth to challenge the Guardians. The Guardians stand helpless against this terrible charge, and the Veil of magic will fray and tear around them, signalling that all hope is lost. But if the Seven Dreamweavers rise and prove themselves worthy to lead the Guardians, light still shines for the world. However, take heed; Only the Seven, together, shall spare the world from the dark fate.”

This prophecy will someday come to pass, but the threads of magic reveal precious little information. We hope that the generation of Guardians prove to be strong enough to prevent the end of the world as we know it.

May the spirits of our ancestors watch over us.”

{ Chapter One }

Alexandria sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes and leaning back into the chair. It was only the second week of school, and she was already bitterly exhausted, ready to drop at any moment. ‘I should have gone to bed earlier,’ she thought, then smiled at herself wryly as she recalled telling herself that everyday for the past week. Shaking her head, she pinched herself to keep herself awake, and picked up her pen to copy the notes on the whiteboard. She was halfway through a rather confusing section about mytosis and meiosis when her phone vibrated under the table. Sneaking a furtive glance at the teacher, she slipped her phone out and glanced at the message, which turned out to be from her friend, Tory.

“I'm stuck in Lit class now and Romeo is such a wimp. I can't believe he got Juliet to fall in love with him. He probably brain-washed her into it or something. Anyway, I'm sorry for the late reply. Karmien kidnapped my phone to force me to pay attention to the teacher.”

Clamping down her lip to keep herself from grinning (and looking crazy), Alex dashed off a rapid reply. “I'm in Biology class. It officially stopped making sense to me. Well, tell Karmien you're depriving me of intelligent conversation.”

She dropped her phone back under the table and hastily scribbled down the notes as the teacher walked past. Her phone vibrated again and she smiled as she read the new message.

“She says that you're depriving me of a good education. I've got an essay to complete now, I'll see you after school!”

Rolling her eyes at Karmien's logic, she turned back to her work, shooting glances at the clock every few seconds, counting down to the end of school. Finally, the dismissal bell shrilled and she sighed in relief. She was in the middle of packing her bag when two shadows appeared at the edge of her vision. Turning around, she grinned at her two of her best friends.

“Hey, Karmien, Tory,” she waved them to sit at the now-empty chairs beside her. “Where's Reni?”

“Somewhere around, she'll join us later,” Karmien muttered, her nose stuck in Tory's phone. Then with a slightly hysterical laugh, she handed the phone back to Tory, with the words, “I've changed your password, you have to guess it to get in.”

Tory grabbed her phone, smirking. This was a game they played often, getting each other to guess their phone passwords. Typing in her first guess, she tapped the “ok” button, expecting the phone to unlock. Alex dropped her books into her bag and perched at the edge of the desk to watch.

“Come on, hint?” Tory demanded as her phone denied her access for the sixth time.

“Hint... It's a declaration.” Karmien smirked as Tory glared at the phone in fustration. Alex's eyes widened, guessing Karmien's implication.

“Try toryisawesome?” She suggested.

Nothing.

‘No way...’ Alex broke into a broad grin as she guessed Karmien's password. “Karmien, I've always known you were egoistic, but this is way of the charts for you, sis,” she burst out laughing. “Tory, try karmienisawesome.”

“Karmien-you-idiot!” Tory shrieked as she ticked Karmien mercilessly, half-breathless with laughter as Reni walked in.

“What's up?” She asked, puzzled at the chaotic scene that greeted her.

“Great, you're here, we can leave for the library now,” Alex dragged Tory after her. “I'll let them tell you the story on the way to the train station.”

{ end of chapter one }

{ Chapter Two }

“Air-con at last! I thought I was going to melt in the heat.” Alex laughed as Tory slumped against the wall and sighed in bliss. Reni was laughing in disbelief as Karmien told her about the password fiasco, and glancing at the three familiar faces that were so dear to her, her heart swelled in contentment and happiness. ‘This is how life should be spent. Hanging out with my friends - no, almost my sisters - having fun.’ She smiled.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Tory demanded.

“Nothing. I was just thinking about...stuff.”

“Stuff...” Reni looked suspicious, but the three of them didn't press her. She never opened up easily to people, and once pressed, she would clam up and they wouldn't get anything out of her at all. They'd learnt early in their friendship to respect each other's secrets, and not to press each other too much.

The train pulled up and they scrambled to get in. Oddly, it was empty, and as the doors closed, Karmien noticed something rather...off.

“This isn't our usual train,” she declared sharply, her eyes sweeping around.

“What do you mean, not our usual- What was that?” Tory bit off the end of her own question as the train gave a sudden, violent jerk, sending them staggering into each other.

Then the train ground to a halt.

“The Veil. This is the terminal station, please exit and have a nice day,” the automated voice announced brightly as the stepped out, feeling rather bewildered.

Instead of a normal, underground, rather drab train station, they were on an open-air platform. Tall, stained-glass windows lined the beautifully carved walls and as Alex stepped over to run her fingers over them gently, she recognised some scenes from the Greek Mythology that she used to read.

“That's Atlas holding up the sky,” she called to her friends, and they clustered around her. “That's Perseus and Medusa.” She traced the outline of the exquisite figures, then turned to her friends. “Where on Earth did we end up?”

Frowning, Reni spun around.

“I don't recognise anything.”

“Neither do I.” Tory frowned, trying to look for a signboard that will, hopefully, help them out.

“What did they mean, ‘The Veil’? I've never heard of such a place in my entire life.” Karmien was clearly trying to figure out everything calmly.

“Maybe we'll be stuck here forever.” Reni sighed gloomily, letting herself flop onto the floor.

“Don't be such a pessimist,” Alex swatted her arm irritably. “I'm sure we'll figure out a way out soon.”

“There's no way out,” a silvery voice sounded behind them. All four of them whipped around in shock. Alex could swear that she just gave herself whiplash.

A tall, willowy teenager with long, red-brown hair stood behind them. Her pale-green eyes glinted in the light, and she was dressed in a black skirt which came to her knees. As she drew closer towards them, they could see that despite her youthful appearance, her eyes appeared older, wiser, marked by the experiences that only age could bring.

“Who are you? And what do you mean by there's no way out?” Alex stepped forward and demanded harshly. “How did you come if there aren't any exits?”

“Relax,” the woman-teenager laughed, her laughter like the tinkle of wind chimes. “My name is Yvonne, and welcome to the Veil. Our world.”

{ end of chapter two }

{ Chapter Three }

“The Veil is /our/ world?” Alex stared blankly at Yvonne. She could tell that her friends were as bewildered as she was. “But- We don't belong here! We just...came through the train.”

Yvonne stared at them seriously, then said, “The only reason why the train brought you here would be because you were /meant/ to be here. Normal humans don't drop through here by mistake, they do not have the ability to interact with the magic around them. They are completely blind to the happenings in the world of magic overlapping theirs. /Our/ world.”

“Magic...you can't be serious.” Reni blinked incredulously at her.

“Why not?” Yvonne stared at her challengingly, then held up the palm of her hand. For a moment, nothing happened, and Alex thought that everything was a part of some elaborate plan, when the surface of her palm burst into flames.

Alex yelped and jumped backwards, slamming into Tory, sending both of them crashing to the hard cold floor.

“Are you okay?” Yvonne peered at them, concerned. “I was about to warn you that it could startle you on your first time.”

“Yeah, well, thanks for your warning,” Alex heard Tory mutter sarcastically as they scrambled to her feet. Reni and Karmien seemed rooted to the floor in shock as the intensity of the flame increased, engulfing her entire hand.

Then with a start, the flames went out, and Yvonne stood there triumphantly, showing them the smooth, unbroken skin of her palm.

“Magic,” she announced. “I'm a FlameWeaver, which means that my magic deals mainly with Fire. There are many types of Weavers here-Sky, Earth, Water, Shadow...the rarest among all of us are DreamWeavers. They specialize in matters of the Mind, such as mind-control, mind-reading... They-” She seemed to teeter on the edge of revealing something important, then caught herself.

“Together, most of the Weavers are from an organisation known as the Guardians of Fate. It's our job to make sure that the web of magic and fate, also known as the Veil, doesn't unravel, and fate goes the way it should flow. We don't exactly /control/ fate. We take care of it, make sure no humans of importance die without fulfilling their destinies, et cetra. We use our magic for /good/. If you accept our invitation to join our world, you will have to follow me now.”

“What happens when the Veil unravels?” Tory asked, half-suspicious.

“It can mean the end of the world as we know it. We rely on magic to survive, it is what binds us-even ordinary humans-to life. Without it, we will all die. Even as we speak, the Veil is continually fraying, and more Guardians are out repairing the damage. Taking care of the Veil is not a one-time process. It will last through all of our lives. Are you prepared to leave your old lives behind and join our cause? I will tell you this, if it helps you make up your minds: our numbers are dwindling. Some of them leave for missions and never return. We need your help, and urgently. Are you willing?”

“What's the catch?” Alex asked warily.

Yvonne hesitated before replying. “You give up your mortality, your humanity. You will live here forever. I know this is a huge desiscion, I've made this choice too. I'll let you consider. But think carefully; once you're in, you can never back out.”

A long pause followed as the four of them considered her words carefully. Alex glanced at her friends' faces as she teetered between accepting, and turning down the invitation. Her mind told her to say no, but her heart told her yes. She bit her lip. She had never been close to her parents and her brother, and she never had many friends anyway. Closing her eyes, she let out a drawn-out breath and made her choice.

“I'm in,” Alex announced grimly.

“Are you crazy? You have to leave our old lives forever!” Tory demanded harshly.

“I've thought about it. We've always talked about saving the world, haven't we? Now, we have a chance to. Anyone in with me?” Alex retorted, pale but determined.

Karmien, Tory and Reni glanced at each other uncertainly, then Tory sighed.

“We can't leave you alone, can we? We're in.”

{ end of chapter three }

{ Chapter Four }

“Great,” Yvonne clapped her hands together briskly. “Now I'll have to bring you to the Council, they will want to meet you.”

Crossing over to a blank wall, she murmured, “Open,” and an image of a door wavered, as though seen underwater, then solidified. Yvonne pulled it open. “After you,” she waved them through grandly. “And welcome to the Veil.”

They stepped through into what seemed to be an alternate universe. Landing in a small street, Alex's eyes automatically fell on a large, sprawling building in front of them. It was a pleasant pale blue in colour, and they could clearly see that it was home to the Guardians. As they passed through the gates, people stopped everything they were doing to stare. Still wearing her school uniform, Alex felt rather self-conscious.

“Oh, don't worry about the staring,” Yvonne reassured them. “We haven't had new Guardians in ages. They just want to meet you,” she called as she rounded a corner, with the four of them scurrying to keep up. “Ah, here we are. The Council Room.”

She paused outside, her face deadly serious. “The Council is made up of our most experienced Guardians. They don't tolerate fools lightly, and remember to treat them with respect.” With that, she pushed open the double doors, and strode in, leaving them to hurry after her.

Alex's first impression was of a large, but simply decorated room. ‘These people mean business,’ was her only thought before a voice like glass cut through her thoughts.

“You have come.”

Alex glanced at Yvonne, who bowed towards the direction of the voice. Hurrying to copy, they bowed, but Alex kept her face up to study the speaker.

The speaker was a short, skinny, Asian girl, who looked to be fourteen. But her dark brown eyes glittered with shrewd wisdom and a hidden intelligence. Beside her lay a large, dark gold wildcat with amber eyes and beside it, a snowy cheetah, both of them sleek and deadly. Another boy leant against the wall, staring into space, looking bored. As Alex opened her mouth to say that she could only see /two/ people here, the animals' fur rippled, and suddenly, a tall, slim teenager and a slightly shorter boy stood in their place. Nodding to Yvonne, they turned to the corners of the room where two shadows stepped out. Behind them, a girl seemed to step out of thin air herself.

"The Council." Yvonne whispered to them.

Something Random

2011-11-04T06:07:00.001-07:00

He spun around, smirking playfully at her. A slightly cocky glint was in his eyes, daring her to take up the challenge. She grinned back playfully, taking up his challenge. With a small nod, he took off, with her racing after him, kicking up sand in their wake.

~For You~

2011-10-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

AN: OKay, this story has NOTHING to do with Hawaii 5-0, but I borrowed their names... I'm an obsessed kid. KOVE! <3

He held her close, melting their bodies together. Silhouetted against the dark night sky, they made a beautiful sight-angel with angel, pale amber wings with dark blue wings shimmering softly against the sky.

“Hush,” he comforted her as she buried her wet, tear-stained face into his shoulder. “I'm okay, I'm fine.”
“I'm scared.” she admitted. “Terrified that the next time you leave, you won't return from the fight. It's too risky, Steve! They told me you missed death by inches. Only by inches!”

Steve held her hands and kissed her knuckles tenderly. His close call with death had awakened both of them to the fact that they might be immortal, but they weren't invulnerable. They can be killed anytime-the price of their fall from Heaven.

“I'll always come back.” he promised softly as Kono tried to pull herself together.

A horn sounded in the distance. A roar went up, and immediately, the camp descended into chaos as the angels rose, ready for the battle.

Steve pulled away, gazing into Kono's wide, fearful eyes. She was scared for him. His heart twisted, and he wished that he could do more to reassure her, to convince her that he would return safe. “I'll be back, I promise. When this war is over, we'll have our own family, okay?” He whispered, kissing her on her lips this time. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, drinking inthe scent of her, and let himself sink blissfully into oblivion. Then he opened his eyes, and the illusion vanished.

“I have to go.” He hugged her again, briefly. She did not try to stop him. “Remember your promise!” she called as he took off, after the other angels. The sound of wings beating the air drowned out every other sound, but for one moment, Kono thought she could hear Steve say, “I will. I love you.” ~For you~

AN: Comment please! :)

Beyond the Mirror

Something Random

~For You~