Prologue

The Beyond

Nyra smiled on the branch of a large dead tree with her army behind her. It was a corroded and sinister smile. The smile you would expect to see on a psychotic sociopath, not the leader of a pure regimen.

Her pure army once more had risen. Although it was only half the strength that it originally was during the Siege of Great tree, the guardians were standing alone. They had been unsuccessful in recruiting other owls to help them. In past years, the Northern Kingdoms had formed together with previous leaders being overthrown and territories being, once again, caught in continuous and unstable wars.

The green owls from Ambala weren't here either. Ambala in of itself had never been directly affected by Nyra and her pure ones. And they didn't want any more conflict having just broken the Striga's hold on their kingdom. It was the perfect opportunity for the pure ones to rise once more.

And so they did.

Nyra felt an owl on another nearby branch shiver. She turned her mauled face to him, a slight scowl on her face. "What's your name soldier?"

He flinched slightly and his head snapped toward Nyra. Straightening up, he replied: "Verrat, madam."

"Madam General," she corrected frustrated that another owl had gotten her title wrong. The Striga had been the last one to make that mistake, and now he was dead. After the egg failed to hatch correctly in the Ice Narrows, she had abandoned the project. When he objected, she killed him. After the Striga's influence on the southern kingdoms, Nyra had been able to give all the tytos affected by him hope using bent truth.

And truth be told, this owl named Varrat had seemed rather tense in the past week. He was nervous about something, she could tell. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just nervous about the oncoming battle," he told her. "I'm curious Madam General, how are you so calm?"

No wanting to pass a chance to gloat to an officer, she responded: "It's not my first battle. I was there during the Siege, the Burning, and here in the Beyond. I've gotten over the nervousness by focusing on my hate for the enemy. Concentrate on that, and you won't be defeated."

"Well, I guess I can't argue with you there. When should we begin the attack?"

"Now is as good of a time as ever. Alright! Listen up!" she shouted to the others on the tree. "Arm yourselves, and get ready for the battle that will either gain us a new pure nation, or doom us to extinction. So now my pure army, to battle!"

A war cry sounded behind her, a continuous high-pitched screech comprised of hundreds of barn owls. For the pure ones it was motivating, for the Guardians, it was intimidating. It made Nyra's smile grow bigger than any owl would have thought possible as the tytos rose into the sky.

The two armies charged at each other, the one to the south miniscule to the one to the north. The guardians were out numbered, and this time there was no way they could confuse the pure ones. This was it. They were the last defence. If they couldn't stop them here, they would quickly invade into Shadow Forest, then to Silverveil, Ambala, Kuneer, Tyto, and then the great tree, and maybe beyond.

That fact did nothing to ease the guardians.

As the two opposing forces approached each other head on, the owl named Verrat began to climb above the formation, unnoticed by the others. He flew right above Nyra who was on point. Then he did something that was, at the time, unfathomable for a pure one. He extended his battle claws, and drove them right into Nyra's back.

Both armies froze. Nyra went yeep, falling to the ground while being trailed by her assailant who was following her via kill spiral. She slammed onto the ground hard, snapping her spine. Anything below her chest instantly stopped working. Organs and limbs especially. But she didn't die.

She managed to lift her head, and it let her see her army once more before the owl above her drove the sharpened iron into her chest, puncturing her vital organs, and piercing a hole in her heart. A liquid in her throat gurgled as she tried to breath before her body fell silent.

Nyra was dead.

The pure ones, and guardians both, landed around her. The owl named Verrat to the pure ones, and proclaimed: "From now on, you take orders from me. This… thing," he said pointing to the lifeless corpse that was their leader." ...didn't even appreciate our views. She was no pure one! She wasn't a Tyto! She was nothing more than a hagsfiend! Let's not be ignorant to what truth lies before us!"

…

The pure ones did not surrender that day.

A treaty had been signed that would allow the pure ones to remain, but would not be able to rise as a superpower ever again. They were given the St. Aegolius Canyons and Shadow Forest as territory, but they were required to release all non-tyto prisoners, and allow the evacuation of anyone in those territories. Their armed forces must be a reduced a military that in the terms of the 'others' would be considered more as a large police force.

At first, they had demanded that Silverveil also become part of their union, but the guardians wouldn't allow it. The Palace of mists was the primary reason, not to mention if they gained Cape Glaux they could eventually engage in a surprise attack against the Great Tree. Neither side wanted another war, so the pure ones turned their attention to the beyond. The guardians were hesitant. The ember had been returned to the sacred ring, and the guards were back at their posts. But there was still unease.

Finally an agreement was made. The Guardians would not personally protect the beyond, but the beyond could protect itself. However, the Sacred ring of volcanoes, and the wolves of the Beyond could not be touched in anyway. Nor could any creature, owl or wolf be captured if they were on, over, or near the volcanoes. If even a single report that said that the Pure ones were attempting to violate this in anyway, it would be a declaration of war. They also could not invade to the north east to the Spirit woods, and eventually to the Northern Kindoms.

The terms were set, the treaties made, and territories were secured. Silverveil, having the Barrens and a sea between them and their nearest allies, became heavily militarized. Ambala, Kuneer, and Tyto formed the united nations. It was where the three countries connected together that they formed their capital.

Ga'Hoole more or less succeeded from the rest of the world. By the time winter came, the tales of Ga'Hoole slowly slid back into legends. The pure ones officially changed their name to the T.C.S.A. Tyto, Condescension, Superiority, Association. Eventually they built up their armed forces to the absolute max without violating the treaty. They then launched it on the Beyond.

Without a stable government, their military was unorganized, and fell quite quickly despite their vast resources. The blacksmiths and colliers retreaded to the Sacred Ring, there they were safe. The others evacuated.

For a time in the Southern Kingdoms, there was peace.

A/N: I decided to make this story in hopes of reviving myself in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole fanbase. I go back to School tomorrow. So it will be awhile before the next chapter.