Intermission
"The Lord Guardian"
A/N: I thought it was time we had one of these to review the story's major events and the new perspective is interesting. Enjoy!
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin dim
There's meltdown in the sky
"Livin' On The Edge" by Aerosmith
Taschen sighed in relief as he fell heavily into his welcoming recliner, grateful to be able to relax for a few moments. While his body might be eternally young, locked in at the age he had been when he brought Ashani crashing back down into the Chaos Realm during the first battle for Earth, his mind was over a thousand years old. There was a lot going on these days with the Earth's population so enormous these days and the growth all across the other light realms and the increasing strength of the dark realms. The only comforting thing he had to think about these days was the fact that the Chaos Realm, strongest of all the dark realms, had lost its teeth with the destruction of its Demon Lord two years ago.
Looking around the room, it was hard to believe that this modest modern house wasn't actually anywhere on the surface of the planet that he guarded against threats that the Champions of Earth, the Children of the Light, could not. It wasn't in a physical place really as it occupied a different plane of existence, some might call it Heaven, where no mortal could reach it. It was from here that Taschen made his plans, watched over the world and rested when he had time. He was an immortal, not a god like Him. Him was the Realm Lord of Earth, though he was more commonly known as God to the people of Earth. Taschen did not know his true name or how he had come into existence, but he served him nonetheless as a Regent having access to some of the Realm Lord's powers in addition to being able to request the use of ones that he did not possess. Him was rarely visited by the Lord Guardian and his true form was unknown as he chose to present himself as various geometric shapes of light to Taschen on those rare occasions that they did meet.
It took a moment for Taschen to realize that his mind was wandering. He needed to focus on the present problem. The problem about that was that he couldn't see the problem. Something strange was going on, he was sure of it, but who or what was behind it he didn't know.
All of the events leading up to today began when Taschen felt something enter the Earth Realm. It was almost undetectable, a mere hiccup among the background noise of the normal activity of the Realm, but he had felt it and it was a rare thing indeed for something to enter the Realm without first requesting permission. Even if it didn't ask for permission to enter, it was normally easily identifiable such as the Chaos Demons when they invaded two years ago to attack the Children. But whatever it was, it was slippery and damn good at hiding from him. That was when the dreams started.
Zachary and Cody Martin, his two most powerful allies and Champions, had started having different but disturbing dreams. Cody was reliving the post apocalyptic future that his future self had survived through, though he should have no knowledge of what had taken place. Then Zack began to feel like he was being stalked in his dreams up to the point of being attacked and even dragged down into the darkness before he could break free. The boys hadn't told Taschen this, he'd seen their dreams as he watched over them. It was his responsibility to protect them from the things that they couldn't fight, such as the influence of other Realm Lord's powers like he had two years ago when Ashani tried killing them before Earth's defenses were truly down enabling him to actually be fully in the Realm and not partially.
As the dreams became worse, Zack and Cody finished their last day of school with a bang. Literally…Taschen felt something become warped in reality, something was changed, moved, created or destroyed but he couldn't tell what it was. He felt it near the twins and before he could act upon his intuition that something bad was about to happen, the room they were in exploded. They had managed to protect themselves with the light, but it was a close call. Whatever had happened, it was not an accident. Someone had tried to murder the Children.
Days moved on and then abruptly and without warning Taschen felt a sudden surge of power distantly, but clearly, and knew it was from the Chaos Realm. The power was so great that it greatly disturbed him. The power was greater than Ashani's had been and equal if not greater to that of the Martin twins. Taschen had appeared at their graduation to warn them and after he had left, Zack was nearly claimed by the darkness with only Cody's quick response saving him from it.
During the days where nothing happened to the twins, Taschen had called upon his gifted Realm Lord powers and created several defensive wards around Zack and Cody's home and immediate areas to protect them from whatever was moving around the Earth Realm undetected. So far that protection had kept them safe from the unknown threat, except for the incident where they had strayed outside of it and had been attacked by a mechanical monster whose origins remained unknown. Even with the protection, the boys still were plagued by their nightmares which confused and frustrated the Lord Guardian even more.
Right now though the boys were safe, driving home from their graduation in the care of both of their parents, the Chaos Realm was quiet and the invisible intruder hadn't done anything for awhile. Taschen felt that he could allow himself some time to think and rest before he set out to find out more information on what was going on. He considered traveling to one of the other light realms, preferably one as old or older than Earth, for some insight but he also realized that if he left now there could be serious consequences as all of his protection would vanish for as long as he was away. Earth was on its own once again, like it was two years ago and over a thousand years ago, to face the darkness on its own for Taschen had no doubt that whatever this invisible threat was, it was from a dark realm that he wasn't aware existed.
Just as he closed his eyes to rest, Taschen suddenly heard silence and felt the protection he'd extended to Zack and Cody stop drawing power from him. He stood up and tried to regain his senses, feeling out for the people of Earth and the Children of the Light, but nothing came to him. It was almost as if he had been cut off from the world he was sworn to protect.
Summoning his Realm Lord powers Taschen attempted to transition to the world and find out what was going on only to be met with failure. He couldn't get to Earth anymore. Panicked, he tried again harder and summoned his full light power to augment his Realm Lord powers and failed again. The Lord Guardian tried for hours to break into the physical Earth Realm unsuccessfully. He couldn't even get a hold of Him. Taschen was boxed in and cut off from everything except the flow of light.
Something bad was happening or about to happen on Earth, that much he was sure of. Drastic times called for drastic measures and Taschen felt out for the last thing he wanted to find. The Chaos Realm was obsessed with trying to conquer Earth, the strongest dark realm seizing control of the strongest light realm would make Chaos an unstoppable force, and subsequently there was always a gateway open in the Chaos Realm probing the defenses of the Earth Realm trying to break through.
Taschen opened a gateway of his own and it connected to the one formed in the Chaos Realm, creating a pathway by which he could cross over completely into the dark realm as well as giving the light an entrance with which it could invade allowing Taschen and Earth's Champions to draw upon it to power their abilities. He was confident that the people of Chaos wouldn't find out about the gateway for some time, and by then he would be able to get through the Chaos Realm and open a new gateway from there into the Earth Realm and then close both of them on his end before anything could get through.
With the gateway swirling open before him, the Lord Guardian powered down and disconnected himself from the flow of light around him. His plan would work a lot better if he were able to move about undetected inside the Chaos Realm, for any Champion of Chaos would easily be able to feel his presence if he came in there guns blazing as it were. That, and Taschen had to remind himself that he would be stepping into the enemy's home territory where they had all of the advantages and their greatest Champions could kill him should they find him.
Taschen stepped across realms into the dark aquamarine light of the Chaos Realm to an empty expanse of rocky hills. There were no Champions and no Demons waiting for him, but with a sudden realization Taschen became aware of something else or rather two somethings in the Chaos Realm that sent a chill down his spine.
The same invisible presence lurking in the Earth Realm was here too, only it wasn't trying to hide as well. It was another dark realm… However, that realization paled in comparison to the surprise waiting for him in a distant part of the realm. There was a powerful being of light trapped here, and then it dawned on Taschen. He had felt this person before…
A/N: Well there you have it. We learn a little bit about Taschen and his thoughts on everything that has been happening. Plus we find out that shortly after he visits Zack and Cody at their graduation, the Earth Realm is suddenly unreachable, almost as if he has been trapped on the outside. When he arrives in the Chaos Realm, he begins to learn who the hidden adversary is (obviously Father Time and his Realm) and discovers that he is not alone in the dark realm.
Dun, dun, dun! Gotta love my cliffhangers, but you'll have to wait for Chapter 7 to have this one solved =)
Chapter 6 is off to a good start and the first scene is now being written. Zack being a real smart ass hehe!
See you all soon!
