Disclaimer: I do not own any canon characters and story lines
Title: A Circle Has No End
Summary: Being the prince of Meridian is all fun and games, until you have a little sister. Then, everyone begins to fear that you'll someday turn into your uncle. Life as Elyon's son has never been easy, so when Garret gets the chance to move to Earth and help the old guardians train the new, he jumps at it.
Rating: K+/T
Chapter One: Loose Ends and Loose Beginings
Peering through the tree-tops, the garden below seemed like a flood of colors, nothing definite or certain, just bursts of shapes and patterns, which from a distance, could be almost anything. Of course, the scent wafting upwards with the breeze gave their true identities away; flowers, all of them, specific types and breeds which a trained nose could pick out easily. But to Garrett, the intermingling scents were still ill-defined enough that he could pretend the scene down below him was something, anything, other than the royal gardens.
"You know, so long as you have an aunt with green speaking, you're gonna need a better hiding place."
If the intruder startled Garrett, he didn't let it show, even as she floated down beside him ethereally.
"Cornelia told you I was here?"
"The first time. Gotta be honest with you, kid, you're not the best at hiding."
Garrett hugged his legs to his chest, knowing that, with his other here, he wouldn't fall, however precariously on the branch he was perched.
"You haven't come for me before."
"I thought you might want space. But now I get the feeling you want to talk."
Garrett said nothing, but his mother simply remained by his side.
"I know it's hard now. But honey, nobody is angry with you."
"They act like they are," Garrett said, wishing his small voice didn't sound so mopey.
"I know, and they're trying not to. They aren't angry at you, they're angry at somebody else, and you… you remind them of him."
"Uncle Phobos." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"It isn't fair! I'm not gonna do to Ivory what he did to you!"
"I know that sweetie, and so do your aunts and uncles and the guard."
"But the others…"
"Don't matter."
She leaned over and kissed his brow.
"Everyone who cares about you knows you would never do anything bad on purpose. Come on, I had Granny Lin make your favorite dinner…"
Garrett sighed, but took his mother's hand.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I don't look that much like him, right?"
He thought he saw a flash of something in her eyes; something he was to young to understand or comprehend, or even fully register. But in a moment it was gone, replaced by her soft smile.
"No, honey. You look only like yourself."
Twelve Years Later
The prisons of Kandrakar were silvery white, the cells open and airy, yet well-guarded, and the Prison Guard of Kandrakar floated in the air above it all, filing her nails and wondering when she was due for vacation.
It wasn't that Irma didn't love her job, she did. She got to lounge and be amped-up on power, and occasionally had a fun fight when the prisoners got rowdy or dangerous. But the all-white, all-peaceful aura of Kandrakar did make her a bit… homesick, for the chaos and fun of Earth and Meridian. Her little brother traipsing mud through the house, her friends and their families having raucous dinner conversations…
Here, her only real contact was with prisoners- the worst of the worse, so bad only Kandrakar could contain them. Needless to say, not great conversationalists. Some only spoke languages used so long ago they'd been forgotten by all but the ancients. Other's were the vague embodiments of abstract concepts. Some just weren't very friendly.
"While this is a prison, Irma, it is not one for you," The Oracle said. Irma was far too used to it to be surprised at his silent entrance.
"You know, you're a cool guy and all, but sooner or later this mind-reading is gonna freak out even the most patient of guards."
She floated down to the floor, where the Oracle stood, his magical energy tied up in less menial magic.
"I did not read your mind, you are simply seeping out restlessness. Can you not see how it affects the prisoners?"
Irma looked to the wall of cells. No difference detectable to the eye was there, but when she honed her powers in she could sense what the oracle was talking about. A faint disturbance among the cages.
"I hadn't realized how bad it had gotten," she admitted.
"Oh, it's nothing awful. But perhaps some time apart would do some good for you, as well as them."
Irma smiled.
"So I get paid vacation?"
"Not vacation, no, but… temporary reassignment. There are places where your unique skills will come in… handy."
"You're being sly. I'm gonna like this, aren't I?"
"Oh, yes, I suspect very much. It is… what's the phrase? Right up your alley."
The castle in Meridian was bustling with swerving bodies, carrying trays of food and wisps of fabric, large wreaths and barrels of ale. From afar, it looked like a dance to Elyon, who was presiding over the last-minute preparations.
Tonight, her daughter turned twelve. It was hard to believe; Ivory was still so young in some ways, and yet so wise in others. Then again, her son had been like that, as well.
Thinking of her son, she looked up, hoping to spot him among the crowd- he'd be easy to find today, his hair would be bright pink, a special request from the birthday girl. He never kept the same color for long; sometimes it was green, other times turquoise. Personally, Elyon wished he'd wear it naturally more, though she understood his reluctance. He was her son- she loved him as he was. But She couldn't deny that in the rare glimpses she caught of him in his true coloring, for a moment, he felt like someone else. And she supposed that seeing bright flashes and tufts of hair added color and light to the palace.
"So, this is how the Queen spends her time? Staring at all the server's cute butts?"
Elyon wheeled around so fast it made her head spin. When she saw the source of the comment, her face broke into a smile.
"Irma! You made it!" She threw her arms around her old friend. "I didn't think Kandrakar would let you out for the day," she said as they pulled back.
"Well, technically, they didn't."
"Oh?"
"Let's just say they got the timing of my next mission perfectly right."
"That sounds… exciting?"
"It's a lot of things, girly. But before we get into that, I want to see everyone! Where are they all?"
Elyon smiled at her old friend; still as excitable and sociable as she'd been in high school. Even in appearance, she was closer to her teenage self than her friends, her time in Kandrakar having helped slow the process. Seeing her was always refreshing, a momentary break from the day-to-day life of adulthood.
"Come on, Some of the girls haven't arrived yet, but Corny is around here somewhere."
They talked between themselves as they walked through the castle, light conversation that, while pleasant, was somewhat guarded. Irma volunteered little information about Kandrakar, or her new assignment, and if Elyon pressed in that direction, a sly joke or quick remark from Irma subtly, but firmly, returned the conversation to its path.
They reached the apartments Cornelia and her family kept in the castle. Initially, Cornelia had been adamant about remaining on Earth, even while the other guardian's toyed with all of the exciting futures being in their line of work opened up. But when she got married to Aldarn, and gave birth to a Meridianite son, there was no real escaping the fact that forcing her husband and child to live in constant glamour was a bit much, and so she accepted a position as an advisor to Elyon and occasional liaison to Kandrakar, not to mention her role in the palace guard.
Irma didn't bother to knock.
"Trust me," she said with a wink to Elyon, "Nothing we'd be scarred for witnessing going on."
Sure enough, Cornelia was lounging on her couch, a face mask on, when they girls walked in.
Her face lit up through the green goop the moment she saw Irma.
"You came!" She exclaimed as they hugged, some mask getting in Irma's hair.
"Yeah, well, I've been temporarily reassigned and thought I'd take advantage of it," The water guardian said, dramatically flopping onto a cushy chair.
"Where's the ball and chain? And the smaller ball and chain?"
"Aldarn is with Caleb and Vathek, being fitted in their official regalia. Orion disappeared off with Garrett about an hour ago, to god knows where." The blonde caught her queen's startled expression and smiled. "Don't worry, they know how much this means to Ivory, they aren't going to do anything stupid. Well, not too stupid, anyways."
"Oh, I know. Probably just blowing off steam."
"So, how is Garrett doing?" Irma asked, a strange edge to her voice.
"Garrett? Oh he's… well, you know. Smart, strong, handsome even if he does keep changing his hair…" She shrugged, in what her mother would call a very un-queenly way. "But he gets restless."
"Does he still… struggle, with his… you know, family resemblance?"
"It's gotten less bad over the years," Elyon said quickly.
"In some ways. And worse in others," Cornelia amended.
Irma raised a brow and looked like she wanted to press things, but Elyon, returning the favor from earlier, diverted as best she could.
"I'm sure you know Orion just passed every exam and skill test they could throw at him."
Cornelia's expression was a mix of pride and something else, a look which told Elyon she'd be bringing Garrett up again later.
"He's officially a Queen's Ranger," was all the blonde said, smiling at Irma.
"Which one's are those again?"
"They're like freelance warriors… mostly do their own thing, but they fight evil in the Queen's name…"
The chatter turned into a harmless session of catching up, wherein children were discussed, as were old family friends and other colorful characters from their past. Irma still spoke little of Kandrakar.
"I think we should all be getting ready now. Won't be long till the guests come," Cornelia said, standing slowly.
"Joint pain kicking in already?" Irma said with a smirk, "You know, it's a real shame I'll never get to feel the whole aging process naturally. Guess I'll just rely on you for that…"
Cornelia rolled her eyes, but fired back no pithy retort. Elyon wondered about that- Cornelia was normally one to balk at any hint of gray hair or crows feet, but now…
"So, Elly, let's go find that hubby of yours!"
Being dragged around by a member of the royal guard wasn't Elias' idea of fun, exactly, but what had to be done had to be done.
"And here, my King, is where we'll have Vathek stationed, because, historically, this is where we've been attacked by-"
"You know, sir, I really do appreciate this, but I have been over it before with Caleb and-"
"And please, my King, it's protocol. Anyhow, down here we'll begin stationing people from The second battalion…"
Elias had never intended to be king. As a friend of the guardians and a noted painter, not to mention victim of Phobos, he had been invited to stay at the palace for some time, when he decided to move back to Meridian after a few years on Earth. When he'd gone out sketching, he'd met the queen doing the same, and the connection, however inappropriate he thought it was, had been instant.
He had wanted to be with the kind girl, who had an easy laugh and smiling eyes and made silly drawings of flower and bunnies. That she happened to be queen was an unfortunate coincidence, as far as he was concerned. Not that married life wasn't good, or that he didn't love his wife and children, but to listen to the constant droning… well, he could do without that.
"King Elias!"
Elias felt a wave of relief wash over him when he heard Caleb's voice. He smiled at the approaching man, first out of gratitude, then out of the sheer absurdity of his outfit. It wasn't that the guard's regalia was ugly, it was just that seeing Caleb in anything not caked in mud and falling apart was a funny sight to behold.
"Ah, Captain of the guard. You must be hear to relieve this man of his duties."
For a split second, Caleb looked confused, before catching the look in Elias' eye and nodding.
"Yes, Sir, uh…"
"Igthain, Captain," the young Meridianite supplied, a look of awe in his eyes at the legendary Caleb. If only Elias could get them to look at him that way… then again, he'd spent most of the rebellion trapped in a painting, so he couldn't really blame them.
"Right. Igthain, take some time off before the ball."
"But Captain, we haven't finished the security briefing…"
"I'll handle it."
Igthain looked disappointed, but left as he was told, no doubt excited for the dance. When he was out of earshot, Elias turned to his old friend.
"As your king, I order you not to finish that briefing."
Caleb smiled playfully, "But, my liege, it's protocol!"
"So is executing people for insubordination."
"Please, if we stuck to that, Garrett and Orion would be first on the chopping block, and we'd have to face Cornelia and Elyon."
Elias laughed.
"Speaking of those two, where are they?"
Caleb gave him an odd look.
"Follow me."
They made their way down several halls, until they reached the practice yard. It was abandoned, everyone else busy preparing themselves for the dance. Only two boys were there.
The first was Orion. Tall and broad shouldered, his skin had the same green tinge that his father's did, and he had a few rock-like formations on his face, some on his cheekbones and jaw, which only emphasized his handsome bone structure. His hair was long and black, currently in a braid, and he was wielding a long spear with a sharp, silver tip.
The second was Elias' son, Garrett, crown prince of Meridian, heir to the throne, a title he lost to his sister that night.
He was handsome, there was no denying it. His face was well sculpted and sharp, with blue eyes that were a shade between the cloudy color of his mother's and the depth of Elias' own. He was not terribly tall or foreboding, but there was a delicateness to his face that would make a girl swoon. The resemblance would have been uncanny, if not for the hair; cut roughly short, currently a bright magenta, at his sister's request.
"He's feeling anxious." Caleb was leaning against a pillar, his eyes on the boys.
"He knew today was coming," Elias said, leaning his hands on the rail, "I was hoping he'd feel… freed, by it."
"He's officially no longer the heir. That puts him a step closer to Phobos."
Elias ignored the slight aggravation he felt at that; he knew what Caleb meant, but it bothered Garrett enough, to be compared to his uncle simply for looks and for when he was born. Elias did his best to remind him that his personality was a far cry from his uncle, but to little avail.
"Yes, and he has yet to kill Elyon or myself. That's a good sign."
"I know, Elias, I'm just worried that he's worried."
"So am I. But what can I do but let him know that I have faith in his goodness?"
Caleb sighed.
"You're right."
"We should tell them to get ready. I, for one, don't want to see Cornelia's face if her son doesn't look presentable tonight."
Caleb laughed.
"Oh, it'd be funny. At least, before she killed everyone in a massive earthquake, it would be."
"Come on, let's go get them."
Taranee stood in the Lin's dining room, dressed in an evening gown, with a small baby on her hip and her husband by her side. As usual, only she and her small family were ready on-time. They'd been hoping to arrive early, for a pre-party reunion, but of course, things never went according to plan…
Will and Matt were ready, their three kids, on the other hand, weren't. Liam was tired and kept wandering off to sneak food from the kitchen, Tyl was whining about not having the right jewelry, and Susannah kept needing to be changed. Matt was hectically trying to change the baby whilst wrangling his son, while Will and Hay-Lin were preoccupied with finding any accessory to appease Tyl.
In addition to this, Hay-Lin was texting Eric, assuring him that everything was fine and that her "girls-night" was going okay.
Kadma, Halinor, and Cassidy were all trying to talk Yan-Lin either out of bringing extra food, or into bringing different extra food, while the old woman staunchly listened to nobody but herself.
Lilian was going nuts with a lint-roller, while Napoleon continuously ruined her efforts.
"Just so you remember," Drake said, leaning in to whisper to her, "You said living on earth would be more calming for the baby."
Taranee rolled her eyes at her husband.
"And just so you remember, Meridian is the cause for all of this."
Drake chose to ignore that, instead becoming fascinated with baby Ben's sleeping face.
"Alright!" Will Finally said loudly, over the noise. "Liam, hold Susannah and stay put. Tyl, you look great. Hay-Lin, tell the hubby we're going phone's-free today, Yan-Lin, please only bring what you have ready-to-go-now, and Lilian, get you're weirdly-long-lived cat to stay away from the fancy dressed. Everyone good?"
"We've been good for thirty minutes," Drake grumbled, though Taranee elbowed him in the spleen for it.
Will ignored him and pulled out the Heart, and, like always, it filled Taranee with warmth and a buzz of energy at seeing it, no matter how long ago she'd last suited up.
"Alrighty, one fold to Meridian…"
It would never cease to amaze her, also, that they could go, instantly, from a small, cramped room, to the royal apartments of a palace in another dimension.
"Ah, home, sweet home," Drake said with a grin. "You know, we could leave Ben with the girls, take a trip back to the old homestead, relive some memories…" Taranee blushed and swatted his arm. She had never quite gotten used to being married to a six-foot-tall dreamboat, but she had to admit, it was… pleasant.
"At last, the cavalry arrived."
Taranee turned, smiling when she saw Cornelia, all decked out in her best clothing, and beside her…
"Irma?" Hay-Lin's bubbly voice spoke first, and before the brunette could even respond, she had been engulfed in a hug. "You made it!"
"Leave of absence, long story, I'll tell you later," she said. "You know, I may work for Kandrakar now but I still need to breath…"
"Right, right," Hay-Lin stepped back, and the other's all greeted them, even Taranee, handing Benny off to her bewildered and abandoned husband.
"I can't believe you made it," Taranee admitted, pulling back from a hug with Irma and looking her in the eye, "Somehow, I get the feeling the explanation isn't something we're going to want to know," she added quietly. Irma said nothing, but her face betrayed her, a small look only a close friend would detect.
"Let's not speculate," she said, then, grinning devilishly, "let's celebrate!"
And with that, the large, chattering party, still hugging and greeting one another as they walked, moved into the great hall.
Garrett finished fastening the clip if his cape, and looked at his reflection. The pink hair clashed with the pale blue-green the Escanor's wore, of course, but not much to do about it now. He didn't want to venture into pastel territory. Mentally he resolved to go back to turquoise or some other color tomorrow.
"Garrett? Can you help me?"
He turned to his little sister, whose small hands were struggling to do up the buttons of her dress.
"Sure thing, princess," He said, kneeling to help her. Even at twelve, she was very small, the top of her brown hair not reaching his chest.
"Are you excited?" he asked, working on the pearly buttons in the blue dress.
"I guess," she said with a shrug. Garrett understood. Like him, she wasn't too fond of being the center of attention. For all her other birthdays, she had small dinners with close friends and family, with Granny Lin around to provide food. But today was different, and as much as Elyon had wanted her daughter to have a fun and enjoyable party, the family had a duty to their kingdom.
"You look really pretty," he assured her, finished her dress.
"Thanks, so do you. I mean-" her wide eyes went even larger, and Garrett laughed.
"It's the hair," he said with a wink.
The door opened, and their mother popped her head in.
"It's time," she said with a smile, "You both look fantastic."
Garrett offered his arm to his sister, and she snaked her hand through the elbow as they exited into the hall, where their father was waiting.
"Hey," he said softly. "Ivory, you look beautiful."
Ivory blushed with pride.
"Everyone ready?" Elyon asked, taking her husband's arm. When her small family nodded, they settled into order, with the Queen and her King in front, and the Crown Prince and Princess behind them, and walked into the hall.
Garrett had a trick for avoiding being overwhelmed, one which he'd taught Ivory. The key was to focus on familiar faces, and blur over all the others. He could see Ivory doing that, staring intently at Granny Lin and the other old guardians. For his part, he tried to find his friends and family across the hall.
Orion, of course, was standing with the Guard, in his black and silver uniform and a smirk on his face his mother would have wied off in a second. He was with Vathek's nephew, whose name Garrett couldn't quite remember, as he had only recently come to the palace. Higher up the line was Raythor, his daughter Kreyah by his side looking very much like she did not want to be wearing a dress, and near her was Lilian, looking very much like she wanted to be wearing a different dress.
He spotted the Guardian's with ease. Will and Matt were there, each with a firm hand place on their children's shoulders, no doubt to keep the restless teens from running amok. Taranee and Drake and little Benny had come, and were smiling kindly, which was much needed. Hay-Lin was all but jumping up and down and waving at them, which she could get away with being a guardian. And, of course, Cornelia and Aldarn, giving him a look which said we know you hate this but you don't look too bad. Next to them stood a brunette… wait… was that…
Aunt Irma?
As if confirming his thought, she grinned a familiar, mischievous grin, one which was ingrained into his head from his rather colorful childhood being babysat by her.
When the family reached the bottom of the stairs, an old man announced in a loud voice, "Queen Elyon Escanor, her royal consort King Elias, Crown Prince Garrett Escanor, and, presenting, the new Heiress to the throne of Meridian, Crown Princess Ivory Escanor!"
The cheers were deafening.
"Here," Garrett said, holding his sister tighter, "Fist dance with me. It'll keep the crowds at Bay."
Ivory smiled gratefully, and then the party started.
It had been a long night, but for Irma and the four most important people in her life, it was far from over. They had retreated to an antechamber when the first few couples began to leave and the birthday girl went to bed, sneaking away snacks and some wine, leaving their children with their husbands.
While they had filled the room at first with mindless chatter, about friends and family and what they'd all been doing, in particular Cornelia, who hadn't seen the other girls for several weeks, eventually, it turned to Irma.
"So, care to tell us why you're here, not guarding Kandrakar's prison?" Will asked, taking a long sip of her drink.
Irma sighed.
"Well, let's start of easy… do any of you think you know what's happening?" She asked.
The girls said nothing, but exchanged looks.
Irma took a deep breath in.
"The Auramere's are beginning the process of disconnecting with us."
Tellingly, no one seemed shocked.
"Explains the sudden exhaustion," Hay-Lin said, "And why magic takes it out of me so easily."
"So new guardian's will be chosen soon?" Taranee asked.
"Well… yes and no."
"How do you mean?" Will asked.
"Well, the Auramere's are… complex. Almost alive. When entrusted to us, they… bond, for lack of a better word. So not only does it take time for them to fully leave the body, but it takes time for them to be ready to bond with new guardians. Why do you think there's so long between generations?"
"I never realized that," Cornelia admitted, "But how did I get all of their powers that time fighting Nerissa?"
"That was an emergency. Besides, as far as the Auramere's are concerned, we're all one big unite. Sisters, almost, so they aren't fussy about jumping between us."
"You said yes and no. You gave us the no, so what's the yes?"
Everyone looked at Will with confusion.
"Guys, I spent my evening wrangling three kids and drinking. You know what I mean."
"Well, long story short, there's trouble a-brewing. Don't panic- I'll brief everyone in the morning. But let's just say things are gonna get interesting."
"And with our power dwindling…" Taranee looked concerned.
"Not good."
"No, Hay-Lin, not good. Which is where I come in. See, technically, on their own, the Auramere's will take another generation to re-attach. But we can speed the process up, by willingly handing them over."
"You mean give up our powers?" Will asked, "Give up the heart?"
"Basically? Yes. But the Oracle understands your reluctance. Which is why he sent me… and why he's asking for your help."
"Our help with what?"
"Well, it's pretty simple," Irma took another deep breath, and prepared herself for the announcement, "He wants you to help chose the new guardians."
Thanks for reading! If you've made it this far, please leave a review! Whether you loved it or hated it, I cherish all opinions!