Reversed Reality
By Kage no Ryunin
Rating: T
Summary: What if Phobos wasn't the bad one? A five-year-old genius Elyon turns evil and kills their parents, forcing her ten-year-old brother to flee Meridian and seek refuge on earth with the help of Galgheita, AKA . He hides there for seven years, waiting for an opportunity, until now. The Guardians have arisen, and with their help Phobos will take back his world.
Prologue
Smoke.
It filled the room, choking him, stealing his breath in a pungent gray-black cloud of death. He coughed, hacked violently into his arm. If only he hadn't been asleep, had been more aware, perhaps he could be out by now. As it was, he was on the floor of his room and growing steadily weaker as the fumes invaded his lungs. It was strange . . . He could feel the heat, but heard no blaze. There was no snapping, no crackling of flames as they devoured the wood of the floor. It was as though there was no fire at all.
And then her voice, small and high-pitched, cut through the cloud into his ears.
"Brother."
It wasn't a question. There was no 'where are you', no 'are you alright'. Simply acknowledgment that he was there somewhere. His eyes squeezed themselves shut, and water streaked down his cheeks, and he was not sure how much was from the smoke and how much was tears And yet part of him denied what he knew to be true. His darling sister was still in there. She had to be. He lifted his face, forcing his eyes to open despite the sting, and be could dimly see her outline through the haze.
He coughed again, even more forcefully than before, and rasped painfully through a hoarse throat.
"Elyon- help me. Please."
And then, as she spoke again, his heart dropped. There was no emotion her sweet voice, though sweet was no longer an accurate description. There was merely ice and the slightest hint of venom. His beloved sister had truly gone, leaving a cold and heartless creature in her wake.
"And why should I? I conjured this smoke for this very purpose, Phobos. You should know that calling for help will do you no good. The servants are unconscious and Mother and Father no longer with us. Give in to me."
Phobos stared at the five-year-old in horror. Zaden and Weira- dead? At their daughter's hands? Impossible!
But as he reached out in an attempt to connect with their magical energies like always, he was forced to see the truth of Elyon's claim. The links were severed, frayed at the ends and completely cut. He howled in anguish despite the smoke inhalation, and the girl just stared impassively. Now he was sure that he was crying- not only for their parents, but the little girl that was now lost in the void of the hardened messenger of evil.
Phobos's sorrow turned to anger, boiled, bubbled to the surface like the inferno that should be causing the smoke. He glared at her, and a small wind that he had no doubt subconsciously conjured blew a path through the grayness for him to see her face in complete clarity. And that look- that slight, smug smirk of satisfaction- drove him over the edge.
Phobos roared, facing the ceiling and the sky beyond, as he released a massive wave of pure power directly at Elyon. Without time to react the girl was knocked off her feet and sent flying against the wall. After a moment the energy cut off and Phobos collapsed wearily before forcing himself to his feet.
The ten-year-old thought quickly. He had minutes before the fumes killed him; he had to get out of his room. The smoke was confined to there. His sister would be fine, being the conjurer- despite her turning she was still family and he didn't wish death upon her. He fumbled around for the door, and stumbled out into the clear air of the hallway. He breathed deeply, spitting in an attempt to dispel some of the putrid taste in his mouth, before breaking out in a run.
He hung a sharp right, skidding as he made the sharp turn, and saw the doors straight ahead that lead out onto the terrace. As he reached the balcony, he launched himself off the parapet and used his powers to keep himself in the air. He swooped as fast as he possibly could, zooming over the lands and to the sky over the city. He scanned the area, spying his destination and rocketing straight for the door of what he knew to be Galgheita's cottage on the outskirts. Galgheita was a trusted family friend, and keeper of Phobos's seal. She was his only option.
He pulled up sharply, just in time to avoid bashing Galgheita's door in. Rather, he slammed it open, rushing in and frantically explaining the situation to the Meridianite. The words came out garbled in his desperation, but Galgheita took it in stride. She retrieved the box that held the Seal of Phobos and allowed the owner to remove the precious object. The box was coded to Phobos's magical energy, and he was the only person who could possibly open it.
Galgheita morphed into her human form, blond, green eyed and young, and grabbed Phobos's hand. The boy took a moment to steel himself, turning to her uncertainly. "Are you sure you want to come with me? Even with the seal, we cannot return. It will be far too dangerous."
Galgheita nodded determinedly. "I could not think of leaving you to make this journey alone, and I hear that Earth has strict rules regarding adult supervision. I am coming."
Phobos gave a tiny dip of his head, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He held out his hand that held the seal and gestured with it sharply. His other hand held Galgheita's in a viselike grip, and they stepped through the blue opening into the light of an unknown future.
Behind them the portal shrank, slowly diminishing into nothing just as soldiers burst into the cottage. Many would speculate that Phobos's great power had sealed it shut. Others would believe that the Guardians had been waiting on the other side. Neither was true.
But in a dresser, in Heatherfield, in the back room of the Silver Dragon, the heart of Kandracar glowed brightly as Yan Lin gazed at it with solemn eyes. Somehow the portal-sealing feature of the Heart had been activated, and it disturbed her greatly. Trouble had befallen Meridian, and the Veil would become all the more important.
Soft footsteps echoed down the hall, and Yan Lin closed the cabinet door just as her granddaughter appeared in the doorway. Twin pigtails swayed as she stopped, and a teddy bear was squeezed tightly in the crook of her elbow.
"Grandma, I think heard something funny." Five-year-old Hay Lin yawned, and Yan Lin realized that it was well past her bedtime.
"It was nothing, darling. Now go to sleep. If your Mom and Dad learn that you're up so late, they might not let you sleep over here anymore."
Hay Lin's mouth formed an O, and footsteps pattered up the stairs and quickly disappeared. Yan Lin sighed heavily.
For now, she would wait for news from Meridian, and hope that things would eventually be right.
A/N- Aaaaaaand, cut!
W.I.T.C.H. has struck my recent fancy! Sorry DD fans, I'm taking a break. My Naruto muse is plumb tuckered out. :( I'll be back eventually, but please have patience.
Please excuse any lacking-ness of this writing. I did most of it from my iPod Touch, and I don't have as good ability when I use that. Sorry!
Until next time! Maybe then I'll use my computer and rewrite this first chappie. :)
-Dragon