Dun-dun-duhhhhh! 'Those who we protect' re-launched! Okay, okay so it's pretty much the same just a different main character. So people don't confused, not that I expect you to, it's pronounced EX-EH-MAY. Also in the looks department, I described her face and hair in the story, and those of you who have played the game know what the usual female Celestrian outfit looks like, but a few changes: I HATE yellow, so the undershirt is a dark purple. The usual weapon she has at the beginning is not some flimsy copper sword, hers looks like the one on the cover that one is holding, only the handle is a wrought iron color, and the blade is almost black. Lastly, the usual choker the girls wear has a small black bell, special reason? Maybe, maybe not. Thank you for reading this long author's note and I hope you enjoy the story better!
"The Fall"
"Hello? Is there anybody there?
If you're there, say something. Show yourself."
Thus do the voices of the mortals plead, ever hopeful for proof of our existence.
For how long now have we watched over their realm…?
For how long have we Celestrians existed?
It was a sunny, peaceful day in Angel Falls. Above the town were the Celestrians Aquila, and his student Lavin. Aquila turned to her, "You have come far, Exeme."
Exeme had black, spiral curled hair that was in a high ponytail and hit at her shoulders, with a few stray curls framing her face. She also had bright purple eyes rimmed with thick lashes and slate gray eyeshadow. Her lipstick a pale rose. He continued, "I must confess to having had my doubts when you became Guardian of the village in my stead. But its inhabitants' continued peace and safety in proof of your devotion." Exeme listened on, "When Apus Major bade me, 'Aquila, take Lavin as your apprentice', I never imagined I would see you bloom so. You are worthy of your title indeed, Exeme, Guardian of Angel Falls."
"Thank you teacher." Exeme said.
Aquila nodded but noticed something, "Hm!"
Across on the path a young girl and her grandfather were walking. The grandfather, "Don't ever get old, my dear Erinn. You don't ever want to get old."
The girl turned, "It's only a little bit farther grandpa. I'm sure you'll make it."
Monsters jumped out of the bushes and hid from the two mortals behind a rock. Aquila turned to his apprentice, "These wicked creatures must not be allowed to ambush innocent members of your flock, Exeme. Come, Guardian of Angel Falls, it is time to fulfil our duty as Celestrians!"
"Yes teacher." Aquila opened his wings and flew towards the creatures, with Exeme behind him. Exeme drew her sword and her and her teacher defeated them. Exeme watched as the two whom they saved pass by.
The girl exclaimed excitedly, "See, grandpa! There's Angel Falls up ahead!"
The old man looked towards the village, "Aah… I honestly believed I'd never set my tired old eyes on the place again. But here we are at last. Home."
The girl put her hands on her hips, "Oh, don't be so melodramatic, grandpa! The village Guardian will have been watching over us all the way. Nothing bad could ever have happened to us." She put her hands together and bowed her head, "Benevolent Exeme, thank you for protecting us on our journey."
Exeme watched as a glow formed around the girl, then watched the glow crystallize and landed in Exeme's hands. Aquila said, "Behold Exeme. Benevolessence. The crystallization of the mortals' gratitude towards we who watch over them. As Celestrians, our cardinal duty is the offering up of this sacred substance unto mighty Yggdrasil, the Great World Tree."
She was mesmerized by the glow, "I see."
"Come, Exeme. Let us return to the Observatory, that you may make your offering." The crystal disappeared as her and her teacher flew towards their home in the sky. They entered through the opening in the floor. Aquila turned to Exeme, "Go check in with Apus Major first. He is in the Great Hall as always. I have other matters to attend to. You must excuse me." with that he left.
"Starlight be with you!" the older Celestrian said as her wounds healed. Frankly speaking, most of the other Celestrians were older than her, "The night sky watches over us all. Be healed, that you may do your Celestrian duty!" she always thought that man was overly excited about everything. She turned and took the first stairs to the landing, than a second pair of stairs to the Great Hall.
On her way to Apus Major she ran into another Celestrian, "That is a crystal of benevolence that you carry, is it not? …It is beautiful. Truly beautiful… Would you perhaps allow me to have it as a gift?"
"I am sorry, but I cannot." She told him.
"Hm. Understandable, I suppose." He looked sad, but she knew it was probably a test to see if she had really grown much.
As she was walking she noticed the doors to the library. She knew her teacher must be there. She wanted to ask him something. She walked through and there he was talking with a female Celestrian at a table. As she was about to ascend the stairs the female began talking, "I was surprised to hear of Exeme's promotion. I did not expect you to permit it so soon."
"You assume too much, Columba. I also believe it is too soon for her to take on a Guardianship. It was Apus Major's decision." Aquila said. Exeme listened on.
"Indeed? How amusing! I might have known."
"It is no laughing matter. Exeme is but a fledgling. What if something were to happen in the Protectorate? Do you forget the tragedy of Corvus so soon?"
"Hmph. No, of course not, but…we have been forbidden to talk of that matter here in the Observatory, have we not?"
"…" He turned around to leave only to see Exeme there, "Exeme! H-How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough." She whispered. She walked quickly out of the room. IguessnowisagoodtimetotalktoApusMajor. She thought.
She walked up to him. He greeted her with what she thought was a smile, you can't tell with his mustache, "Welcome back, Exeme. I trust your absence has not been so lengthy that you forget your old master, Apus Major!"
"Of course not." She said trying to bury the words her new teacher said.
"My congratulations on successfully completing your first task as Guardian, Exeme. You performed your duties well thus far, albeit under Aquila's watchful gaze. But the time has come for you to spread your own wings. What say you? Are you ready to undertake your duties alone?"
Lavin thought about everything her teacher had said. I'mnotweak.Icandothis! She thought. She looked at her former master, "Yes Apus Major. I am ready to accept them alone."
"Ho ho ho! I see you are a confident apprentice, Exeme. Very good. The young have confidence where the old have experience. And so we come to the next of your duties."
"To offer up the benevolessence to Yggdrasil." She said.
"She will soon bear fruit at last. Go now, and do as I have instructed."
"Yes sir." And with that she went on her way.
When she reached the spiral staircase that would lead her to the top, she was stopped by a guard, "Apus Major has sent you to offer benevolessencee unto mighty Yggdrasil?" She nodded, "Then you may pass." He moved out of her way. Upon ascending the stairs, she saw the archways that led to the roots of Yggdrasil. She climbed up the last staircase and saw in front of her the Great World Tree. She offered up the benevolessence and saw the tree glow brightly.
She heard footsteps on the stairs behind her, "Behold, Exeme… is Yggdrasil, unto whom we offer the benevolessence we gather, not truly beautiful?"
"It is." she said.
She turned and watched as he walked to a few steps behind her then turned back, "Gathering and offering up benevolessence is the most sacred duty with which we Guardians are charged." She turned to him again, "I trust you will perform you duties well, Exeme, Guardian of Angel Falls." She started to walk away, "I have been thinking Exeme, Guardian of Angel Falls… To address you as 'Guardian of Angel Falls' is both convoluted and inconvenient. You will henceforth allow me to use this form of address only when formality dictates, I take it?"
She considered telling him no, but decided against it, "Yes teacher."
"Good. It is well that you succumb to my recommendation so readily, my pupil. As you are aware, the law forbids a Celestrian to oppose a superior. Now, go to Apus Major and tell him of the successful completion of your task." She nodded and started to descend the many stairs.
She made her way through the door of the Great Hall to see Apus Major. He greeted her, "Well done, Exeme. And how did mighty Yggdrasil appear to you?"
"She was really glowing." She told him.
"She was fiercely aglow? Ho ho ho. It seems the time may soon be upon us. As I am sure you are aware, it is we Celestrians' duty to tend mighty Yggdrasil until such time as She bears fruit. It is to this end that Guardians watch over mortalkind and gather benevolessence. And now, Exeme, Guardian of Angel Falls, I believe you know what you must do next. You are to return to the Protectorate and continue to gather benevolessence. …This time without Aquila to accompany you."
She saluted, "Yes sir!"
"Make ready, and then speak with the female Celestrian who stands guard over the great portal on the floor below. May all the bodies of the heavens watch over you, Exeme, Guardian of Angel Falls." She nodded and made her way to the floor below.
She walked over to the Celestrian, "Ah, Exeme. You wish to descend to the Protectorate, I take it?"
"Yes I do."
"So Exeme, the time has finally come for you to descend to the Protectorate alone. Good luck, Guardian Exeme. May the assistance you bestow upon the mortals of Angel Falls give rise to galaxies of benevolessence!"
And with that Exeme descended to Angel Falls. Where she stopped two boys were talking, "It really is weird…"
"What's weird? You mean that name thingy on the Guardian statue, Ivor?"
"Of course I mean that name thingy, Hugo, you dolt! I'm sure it said 'Aqui-' something before. But now it's 'Exeme'…"
"Really? Well it's said 'Exeme' for as long as I can remember."
Ivor was getting frustrated "And how long is that, exactly? Do you remember reading it before?"
Hugo thought for a moment, "Er… I… That's funny… I, I can't say that I do."
"You see! Everyone around here's weird. It's only just changed and everyone thinks it's been like that forever."
"Ah-ha! It must be the work of the village Guardian, then!"
Ivor shook his head, "Don't be such a wally! There's no such thing as Guardians. They're just made-up rubbish. It's only Erinn who believes in all that nonsense. She's such a dumb, er…brunette." Exeme walked away from their…discussion.
"And I guess you're the dumb blonde." She said, glad that they couldn't hear her. She began flying around the village. She stopped in front of a dog. She put her hand on it and it barked, then walked to a patch of flowers and began to whine. She shifted the flowers slightly and found a ring, "Good boy." She told the dog as it ran in a circle.
She kept flying but stopped by the church to see who was there. An old woman was sitting down, "Please, Guardian Exeme. Help to reunite my husband's ring and I!"
"Is this the ring?" she said aloud to herself. She slipped the ring into the old lady's coat pocket.
"Hm? That's funny. My coat suddenly feels a wee bit heavier." She put her hand in her pocket, "Lord Almighty! It's, it's my Bruce's ring! Well I just don't understand it. I searched high and low for this old thing before, and I couldn't find it anywhere." She looked around, "It must be Lavin's doing. Aren't we lucky to have a Guardian who watches over us so well? Thank you! Thank you, Exeme!" a crystal of benevolessence was placed in Exeme's hands. She went and had collected another crystal from the farmer.
When she came outside it was dark out. She looked around and saw her teacher. She flew over to him, "Hello teacher Aquila."
"You are taking your new role very seriously, I am glad to see, Exeme." He noticed the weird look in her eye, "What is it? You feel your old master does not trust you to work alone?"
"Iknowyoudon'ttrustme!" she thought to herself.
He turned away from her, "It is my duty now to patrol the entire Protectorate. Though you guard it well, I must sometimes revisit my old territory."
"Oh,nowyou'resentimental." She thought.
"And as I am here, Exeme… There is one last lesson I must teach you."
"Andhereitcomes."
"AS Guardians we are to watch over the mortal flock, but this means more than merely watching over the living."
"You mean helping those who have died but not moved on?" she questioned.
"Yes. You hear it, too, do you not? The voice of a wandering soul in the village in need of your assistance…"
She saw what he was talking about. She flew over to the soul. He didn't notice her at first, "Hmph! Wot's wrong wiv people 'round 'ere nowadays?"
"Fantastic.Thanksteacher." She thought sarcastically.
The man turned around, "Eh? Oh, someone who's prepared to gimme the time o' day at last! Listen 'ere. Can you tell me 'ow come everyone's ignorin' me?" he looked her, "…'Ang on a minute… W-Wot's wiv that get-up, eh? Y-You ain't a… Oh, my days, you are! Yer a Celestrian, ain'tcha?"
"I guess I am."
"So I've… I'm already… I've breaved me last, is it? Go on, you can tell me. I can take it! That's wot's 'appened, innit?"
She nodded, "Yes, I'm sorry, but yes."
"Cheers for bein' straight wiv me, Miss, er…Celestrian."
"Exeme."
"Right. So basically, I've kicked the bucket, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's a good fing you told. When I thought everyone was just ignorin' me I was about ready to do meself in anyway."
"Uh huh." She muttered.
"But now I know wot's wot, I can just get on wiv it and… Well, you know. Rest in peace an' all that." He disappeared and a crystal of benevolessence appeared in his place. She picked it up.
Aquila flew over to her, "You have done well, Exeme." she turned to face him, "Thanks to your intervention, a mortal soul has made its peace, and is now at rest. The benevolessence of a departed soul shines more brilliantly than any. You will be returning to the Observatory with it post haste, no doubt?"
"I guess I will." She said.
"Then I shall bid you farewell for now. I have much to do here in the Protector-Hm?" She looked in the direction he looked. A gold, glowing, train was flying through the sky, "The Starflight Express… Indeed, it has been unusually active of late…" he turned to her, "I have changed my mind. I shall accompany you to the Observatory after all, Exeme." They both took off. When they reached the Observatory Aquila turned to her, "I have important matters to discuss with Apus Major. Please, excuse me." he turned and left.
"Always with the leaving." She whispered. She turned to go to offer her benevolessence. As she made her way up the stairs, she noticed all the Celestrians gathered. When she got to the foot of Yggdrasil, Apus Major and Aquila were there. Aquila greeted her, "Well met, Exeme! Truly, you have chosen a fortuitous moment to join us."
"Really?" She asked him.
"Behold Yggdrasil. She is ready to burst into bloom with all the benevolessence we have offered unto Her."
"Wow!" She exclaimed as the tree twinkled.
She heard Apus Major, "Ho ho ho! Yes, She is but a hair's breadth now from bearing fruit. 'Fyggbloom hails the opening of the Heavenly Gates, and sets the Celestrians on the path to salvation… …And lo, it shall be in the celestrial carriage that we, the chosen custodians, journey unto the Realm of the Almighty.'"
"It is time, Exeme. Offer the benevolessence you have gathered unto mighty Yggdrasil. Do so, and She will surely bear fruit as long last."
"Okay." She told him. She walked up to the tree and offered up the benevolessence. She watched it float up.
"Behold the fyggs bloom." The Starlight landed on the rim. Suddenly it burst apart and fell. Beams of light shot up from the land below and attacked the Observatory. Aquila, Apus Major, and Exeme held onto the roots of the tree.
Exeme began to feel her grip loosen. She lost her grip, "Teacher!" she yelled.
He reached up but couldn't grab her, "Exeme!"
She fell off the Observatory. As she fell, she watched as feathers began to fly, "Arethosemywings?" she thought. She continued to fall. She turned her head slightly to see water. SPLASH! Water exploded as she fell. "Whathappened?" she thought weakly.
THE END
{Until next chapter ;)}
Those of you who are thinking, "MY EYEBALLS ARE GOING TO FALL OUT FROM THIS EXTREMELY BORING STORY!" Yes, this chapter was pretty damn boring, but I assure it will get better. Especially when she gets her team together, who will have the same vocations I used in the game. They won't have the same and this is the reason: First time I played the game, I made it to Alltrades Abbey and Port Llaffan, got pissed off, deleted game. Second time: Got to Bloomingdale and Zere Rocks, got pissed off, deleted game. Thirdtime, spent 40 hours, 28 min., 47 sec, defeated Barbarus, had gotten killed by Corvus I don't how times after he came out of that egg thingy, started this story, deleted game, then got pissed off. To top that all off I lost my thing that had held my DS and six games (not the DS, my mom would have killed me), and now can't start fighting monsters. Thankfully, I have a vague memory of what happened and a map of Protectorate. The fighting monsters thing? I think I'll join World of Warcraft. And I swear my author's notes will never be this long again (maybe).
