Stockholm syndrome
Prologue
A 6-year-old little girl was lying on her bed. "Mom, please? Just tell me the story one more time? I promise to sleep after." She said pouting her lips.
"But I already told you the story twice now. Aren't you afraid?" Her mother laughed and said.
"But I love it! Come on, Mom? Pretty please?" she insisted.
"Okay, okay. But this is the last time I'll repeat it, all right?" she said ruffling her daughter's hair.
"Once there was a man named Asura who wants to be more powerful than his fellow humans and the Spirits. He kidnapped people and drank their blood, thinking that it would make him powerful and immortal because blood is the source of life. But when he woke up one morning, he was surprised to see that his eyes are turning black and his body in vanishing before him. He was so angry at his reflection that he punched the mirror. It broke and wall was left a gaping hole. The result of his outburst made him cackle. He was so pleased that his theory was correct and it's much better than what he expected. The blood gave him an inhuman strength and ability to be invisible.
The Spirits was furious with him that they cursed him. Every time he feeds on human, he began to change. First is his eyes, next is his teeth and then, his hands, until he turned into a monster completely. He can't stand the daylight, he is afraid of the salt, water vaporizes him and irons burn his skin.
'I can't go out like this. I need to find a way to erase this curse.' He hissed.
That night, he was standing in the rooftop of his house, watching for someone to be his victim. He saw a slave walking in one of the alley and took his chance to attack and corner it using his long sharp talons. The poor man is shaking in fear, afraid of the imperceptible creature that attacked him.
'Scream and I won't hesitate to kill you.'
Asura cut both of his arms and let the black blood dripped to the slave's wound. 'Let my curse be cured by this man, through blood.' He hissed as their blood mixed. It was drawn back to the man's body and the cut closed.
He went back to his house and left the man writhing in pain. The morning came and nothing changed in him. 'The curse is still not lifted!' he shouted and destroyed all his things but was shocked when the slave from before came into his house carrying an unconscious woman.
'I give to you the woman who once owns me, My Master.' He said.
Every time he mixes blood with someone, his appearance slowly came back to normal but his power never vanished. Those people who had his blood are turned into his dominions. They are normal people in the day but become an invisible fiend, known as Kishin, in the night. They feed on human blood in order to live.
The leaders of a small village gathered their people in the square then told them to help in the prayer of asking the Spirits to make them the Guardians because they want to protect the people from the invisible cruel monsters who've eaten their family and friends and they don't want them to suffer the loss of a loved one like they did.
The Spirit answered them by giving them the ability to sense the fiends and locate them even though they are invisible. One of the Spirits descended from the sky in the form of a boy bringing with him weapons that are made exceptionally to kill the fiends.
'You will not choose your weapon; the weapon will choose you. And once they had, you will know it.' He said putting all the weapons on the ground. The chosen ones picked up their weapons until everyone had one. 'I will train you to use those weapons, tomorrow.' He said going out into the woods.
All people go back to their houses to sleep while a girl with a blonde hair sneaked out with a pillow and blanket in hand to follow him.
'What are you doing here?' he asked her.
'I brought you these so that you will have no problem sleeping.' She stated.
'Thanks. But I will not sleep. I'm here to watch and protect you all.' He said, amused at her thoughtfulness.
'Oh! Is that so? Then maybe, you could use it in the afternoon when you take a nap. I'm sure you'll be tired after the training.' She replied.
'You should go now. It is dangerous for a girl like you to wander in the forest at night.' He told her instead.
The girl nodded then turned back to leave. He watched her, making sure that she could go home safe from the hungry beasts that reside in the forest.
He trained them every day and was surprised to see the girl from before eagerly trained with them using the most sacred weapon, the scythe. They grew closer each day until they became lovers. He sends them to hunt the fiends and became successful every night.
A few years later and the girl bore a child but a tragedy occurred, the Kishin attacked unexpectedly with their leader and all of the Guardians died except the girl and her child. When the boy was on his last breath, while fighting the leader of the Kishin, he asked his fellow Spirits for their forgiveness because he failed them and pleaded them to protect his wife and their son.
'Asking for your brothers help? How pitiful.' He mocked him. The Kishins that surrounded them in the forest cackled. But suddenly, a bright light came down some of the monsters was turned into ashes in an instant it hit them. They flee with Asura, fearing the Holy Light.
Another Spirit had come down and gathered all the weapons and added another scythe beside the girl's own. You are the complete opposite of each other.' It said to the sacred weapons. 'Whoever you choose should see and understand their differences for you are a team. One might be strong without the other but together you will become the most powerful of all.'
Walking to the girl, it said, 'Take all these weapons and help them find their rightful owners then train them to be like you and your comrades. And as for your child, he inherited his father's Sight, the ability to see all the creatures of this world including your enemy, the Kishins. He's a big help in defeating them but unfortunately, it could only be passed on to the deserving descendant, the one who could use its full potential.'
The Spirit then placed a pendant in her child's chest, 'You and your descendants should find the other half of this. It will help you find the answer on how to defeat your most powerful enemy. It is the key to a divine cave that grants the heart's greatest desire. Anyone could enter it but they have to go through the trials to prove themselves to be worthy of asking, for only the purest and most sincere wishes are granted.'
It then moved to her husband's body and said, 'You've done enough, my brother. Let us go back to our home.' A bright light enveloped them and they vanished.
Until now their lines are the one who taught the other Guardians to fight and continue to protect us from the Kishins while searching for the other half of the ornament. The End." The girl's mother said and ruffled her daughter's hair.
"I want to be a Guardian too, Mom! I will protect my people!" the little girl said.
"You're already a Guardian, as long as you want to help your people. And this, this is a gift to my cute, little Guardian!" She said giving her a necklace with a pendant of an uneven bird with only one fiery wing.
"Go to sleep now, Princess."
"But only if you promise to tell me the stories about the great thieves." She grinned at her.
"Tomorrow, I promise."
"I love you, Mom." The girl said before her mother completely got out of her bedroom.
"I love you too, Maka." She said then left the room.
She leaned on the door of her daughter's room. "I hope that you will be a fine leader to the people when you find out the truth about us." She whispered.
A man with a red hair saw her. "My dear Kami, is our little Angel asleep?"
She smiled at her husband, "Yes, dear."
He locked her in an embrace, "Do you really need to go?" The man asked somberly, burying his head on her shoulder.
"I have to and you know that. You are ought to accept that fact when you married a thief." She stated amused.
"Yes, I know. Just be careful and no jumping off rooftops while fighting monsters." He warned.
"Unfortunately, that's part of my job. So, I can't promise you that, My King." She laughed.
The King let her go but without kissing her goodbye.