The Guardians

Arc: One

Episode 1

It was a cold autumn day when fifteen-year-old Ari looked outside the car window, looking over at the dark clouds that engulfed the bright blue sky above. He gave a soft sigh as his gray eyes wandered over towards his mother. She kept her eyes fixed on the highway as she bit her lip before peering over at her son, her Auburn hair swaying away from her face.

"You know; you don't have to be sitting in silence," she said with a small smile. "There's this new thing called talking, you should try it sometime."

"Sorry Mom," Ari gave a soft sigh. "I just don't see what is there to talk about."

"I know it's a little hard that we have to move away from the house, but we'll be living not too far from the beach and there's to offer over there."

"It's not the location that's bothering me Mom," Ari admitted. "It's more or less the reason. Don't get me wrong, I love my cousins. It's just…the funeral and…"

"And it might get awkward right? A child losing his parents isn't something anyone should face, especially if its eight of them. I know it's hard right now, it's hard on all of us. We're their only family left, and we're going to help them in their time of need."

"I guess so, might as well get used to living with all girls…I'm sure Color has gotten used to it by now."

"Just try to be like an older brother to them, even if Demi and Lonnie are the same age as you, just having someone there will help."

"I'll do my best Mom," Ari responded as he gazed back at the road.

He noticed a giant sign on his right with a message in big bold letters: Welcome to Vista Beach

"Welcome to our new home."

It didn't take long for the car to arrive at the home that was once owned by Ari's aunt and uncle. The two story beige house towered in front of them, the living room window glowing with light inside. Flowers of vibrant colors were around the front porch and wooden wind chimes sang quietly in the low wind. Ari looked over to the right, finding the old tire swing he and his cousins would play on when he came to visit. By watching it swing slowly from side to side, Ari can see a tiny figure slowly crawling out of the hole.

"Ari! Aunt Mari!"

Ari quickly faced in front of him, finding a fifteen-year-old girl with chestnut brown hair walking down the steps of the porch.

"Hello Demi," Ari's mother smiled as she got out of the car. "How's everyone?"

"Color is still up in his room," Demi sighed. "Lonnie just went out to see some friends, Alexa is in the back, Ally is helping me watch Sammy and Ashi…I'm not so sure where Celia went."

"I'm right behind you."

They peered over behind Demi where was the voice was coming from, finding an eleven-year-old girl standing there. She had big brown eyes with a tint of a light pink and long, black licorice hair that was gathered and rested on her right shoulder. She has a similar resemblance to Ari's only male cousin, his twin sister.

"Where the heck did you come from?" Demi gasped.

"The house…." She answered slowly.

"It shouldn't be a surprise to you Demi," Ari gave an award smile, "this one is part cat, remember? She's the best hider in hide and seek back in the day."

Celia began to blush at the remark and gave a soft smile.

"Why don't the girls and I start bringing the stuff inside while you go check in Color?" Mari suggested as she gave her son a pat. "Maybe looking at his cousin might bring him out of his room."

"I'll see what I can do," Ari spoke as he began to head inside.

As he made his way up the attic, Ari could hear the yipping and shuffling of another creature coming from beyond the door. He slowly approached toward it with caution before calling out to his cousin.

"Color? Are you there? What's that noise?"

"Go away…."

"Dude, I'm not playing…. I'm going in."

Firmly grasping the brass doorknob, Ari slowly opened the door. His eyes looked at the eleven-year-old boy that was staring out the bay window. His midnight black messy hair was covered by a gray beanie and his fingers were rubbing against a blue and white scarf that laid on his lap. He watched the outside world silently as if he was searching for a speck of light in a sea of darkness.

"Color?"

The boy turned his head, his dark brown eyes with a tint of neon blue giving off a cold stare.

"What?"

"Well that's a nice way of saying hello I guess."

"What do you want?" Color questioned as he looked back at the window.

"Well, I wanted to see how you are. Demi says you haven't been out of the room."

Ari slowly approached Color before patting his back slowly.

"I'm fine, okay. Just leave me alone…"

"I'll take your word it, you don't need to get snappy at me," Ari sighed.

The room grew silent again, letting the awkward tension fill between the two boys. After a few seconds, Color turned his body towards his older cousin, eyeing his cousin and then his bed every twenty or so.

"So you and Aunt Mari are going to be staying with us for a while?"

"Until hell freezes over," Ari grinned.

"That's good to hear," Color gave a soft sigh.

"I should probably go back to help bringing stuff off the car. Want to come down and help out?"

"I'll go down in a bit, let me grab my shoes," Color responded as he glanced over at the bed.

"Sure buddy," Ari smiled as he headed out, "Aunt Mari will be ecstatic to see you."

Color began to slowly reach for the shoe while watching his cousin leave the room. Once he heard the door close, Color raced towards the bed and quickly pulled out the covers. In the sea of black, a pair of green eyes appeared, looking straight at him.

"That was close," Color sighed in relief, "he almost spotted you."

The creature chirped as it slowly crawled out of the shadows, revealing to be a storm gray colored eevee. It glanced up at the boy once more as its bushy tail wagged and began to lick his knee. Color raised a brow as he picked the small fox up from the ground.

"I know you want to be in here Silver, but I can't have you in here," Color spoke sadly as he stroked the eevee's head, "at least not for now since Ari is here. For now, just stay in the bed I made in the treehouse okay?"

Silver folded his ears and whined softly.

"I know it sucks, but if you're good I'll bring you some cookies. Deal?"

"Eev! Eev!"

Color then opened the bay window and watched his little fox friend hopping onto the windowsill. He gave Silver one last smile before the fox swiftly jumped onto the tree branches and lingered up into the tree house not too high from Color.

"Color are you coming?"

"Hold on just a sec!" Color yelled back as be grabbed his sites and left.