A/N: Hey there guys! Thanks for the support on the series, this is my obligatory thank you for the chapter. Moving on, I was getting hyped up for the first book of The Legacy Chronicles, the first novella in the Lorien Legacies Reborn series, only to find out its release date is being delayed until November 7th (originally October 3rd). Just when I was getting excited to read about the the original Garde again after the lackluster plot of Generation One. Oh well, I suppose it'll be worth the wait, as long as it isn't just a cash grab.

Anyway, back to the story at hand now. This chapter begins with John's group taking in the Mogadorians for prosecution. With the evil now neutralized and powerless, their fate lying in our heroes' hands, they must now answer the question: To kill or not to kill? Time is running out, choices must be made, choices that will mold the future as a whole.

John

After the helicopter ride, the police escort the defeated Mogadorians to a temporary holding cell for the time, until they can sort out a trial date. We follow them, in case the Trueborn attempt to escape, though in their current state, the officers could probably detain them without our help.

Once we arrive at the minimum security prison institution, we're greeted by a tall, lean officer with a shining badge and bald head to match. I notice the two guns holstered in his waistband, along with his sleek, clean uniform.

"Deputy Sheriff Benjamin Stewart," the man says, introducing himself. He then looks at his officers, giving a brief, curt nod for them to leave. They gladly comply, leaving the four of us alone.

"Now then, let's get down to brass tasks, shall we?" he tells us, extending a hand to us.

I tentatively reach out, then shake twice. "I assume these are the perpetrators?" he asks, and we nod in response.

"Yes, but they're no longer a threat," I tell him. "We were able to strip them of their powers with our Legacies, so they shouldn't be trouble."

The sheriff raises an eyebrow at this news. "Interesting," he says in a casual voice. "I was just getting ready to put them in a padded cell with restraints when I got the call, but I suppose that won't be needed now, will it?"

"No, any holding cell will do," Ella tells him. "Just a few days ought be fine."

He shrugs at this. "Eh, they're gonna get moved to the big house soon anyway, no big deal. I didn't really want them sticking around long."

"The . . . big house?" Marina repeats, having never heard this phrase before.

"Oh, you know, the Supreme Court of Canada over in Ottawa. Their trail is scheduled for about a week from now. But before that can happen, we've still got to sort out which country has jurisdiction over these aliens. The States believe they have the right to punish them, since the crime occurred on American soil. Though the RCMP thinks that since they were captured in Canada, they're gonna be tried under Canadian law. Of course, that's just what I heard, and I'm just the town sheriff." He says this last part with a bit of an edge in his voice, perhaps from resentment in the past.

"Does it really matter where they're tried for their crimes?" I ask, having never bothered reading about law.

"Actually, yeah. There's no death penalty in Canada, but America still enforces it big time. They could easily be executed for treason and first degree murder," he tells us, then quickly changes gears. "For now though, let's just get these guys in their cells before they start thrashing around."

We agree on this, though his last tidbit of info still sticks in our minds. Does it really matter what we want? Or will a jury simply decide for us, and not take our input into consideration? I sigh as we begin to drag the unconscious Mogs to three separate holding cells, all on opposite sides of the prison so they can't communicate with one another.

While we walk, Sheriff Stewart acts as our tour guide, pointing out places of interest within the prison, which is officially called the Ferndale Institution. It can hold up to 166 prisoners, and a good portion of the inmates actually came down from medium and maximum security after meeting strict guidelines of good behavior. There used to be a golf course installed on the outside, but it was removed after public outrage. This relieves me, I'd rather not give our worst enemies leisurely time considering what they've done.

We lock up the final Mog in a far corner cell that is 'carefully monitored' 24/7 by CCTV cameras, though I'm not totally reassured. This mainly stems from the fact that there's no barbed wire or fence on the outside and also from the rusted and archaic iron bars of the cell. Relax, I tell myself. The Mogs won't be here for long, it's just a temporary arrangement.

Once we make it back to the front, the sheriff offers us one of his cards to contact him and keep in touch, which I politely take. He assures us that the team of security watching the Mogs will be 'top notch', and that 'we don't need to worry about a thing', though I still have doubts. Frankly, I would be all for us monitoring the Mogs ourselves, but there are other pressing issues we need to deal with.

"So John," Marina says, after we head outside. "Got a plan for what to do next? I know you always come prepared."

"Of course, I always have a plan Marina," I tell her. "Six and Sam won't be in New York for another seven hours, so that gives us time to sort things out."

She looks at me curiously at this remark, and Ella simply smiles, knowing what I'm about to suggest. "Sort what out? The problem with the Garde?" she asks.

"That, and more. We're also going to look into the problems with my Ximic, while we're at it."

"That's a nice idea and all, but how?" she asks. "There's no records of Pittacus Lore and how he used the Legacy, and there's certainly no one alive on Earth who knew him personally."

"Well, there may not be any humans who know, but there is one living being on this planet who probably does," I say, putting emphasis on the last part.

Her eyes widen in realization. "You mean the Entity," she says softly.

I nod. "The Entity has been around ever since Lorien formed, probably even before that. It'll definitely have the answers we're looking for," I tell her.

"Unless it decides you're not ready to hear them yet," she counters, and I nod at this as well. "You know that it won't be as easy as someone telling you the secret ingredient to a dish."

"I know, believe me, I've thought it through. But it's our best shot, and you never know; maybe the key to using my Ximic is just something in my Chest I haven't learned how to use yet." I say jokingly to lighten her up, though I do wonder about the possibility of this in the back of my mind.

It works though, as she laughs that wonderful laugh of hers, a sound of harmony. "Fair enough. I guess we don't have anything better to do in the meantime anyway. Shall we get going?" she asks politely, and I smile at this as the three of join hands for the umpteenth time.

Six

I've been staring out the window for last hour or so on the jet, while Sam goes over what we're going to say to the UN. I offer some input every now and then, but otherwise, I zone out a bit. Eventually, even Sam gets quiet, so I decide I may as well get some rest instead of staring at the terrain below.

Our pilot informs us we're about seven hours away from New York City now, and I kind of wish we just tried our luck with the Loralite teleporters now. I'm fairly certain that we could've winded up somewhere in New York by trial and error within fourteen hours of trying. It definitely would be better than sitting on these seats while watching Pirates Of The Caribbean.

"Any updates from John or Ella?" I ask Sam, and he shakes his head.

"Nah, nothing yet. They're probably battling the Mogs right now," he replies. "They'll be fine, John and Marina can easily overpower them with their Legacies, and Ella's got her Legacy negating field."

His words are reassuring, so much that I almost believe them myself. I feel a pang of guilt as I remember my brief wave of jealousy in the cave when I saw John and Marina kiss. I don't say anything back, instead I wrap him up in a tight hug, a reminder to myself of what I have with Sam. I recall what I told myself long ago at Dulce Base with Sarah Hart: That I could never love him the way she, and now Marina, have loved him. I still believe this is true, and I give him a quick kiss on the lips to erase the doubt bubbling in my head.

"Whoa," he says, after the moment passes. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," I tell him honestly. "Just for you being you, Sam Goode. For always being there when I needed you most."

"You know, that kind of reminded me of the first time we hooked up back at Adam's neighborhood," he says with a mischievous grin on his face, and I can't help but smile too, the mood lightened considerably.

I lean my head to rest on his shoulder, and sigh with content. If only things could always be so simple. Neither one of us says anything, and in this instant, life could not be any better.

Guys, Six, Sam, can one of you hear me? I jump up startlingly off of Sam's shoulder at the voice in my head. He recoils, giving me a sideways look.

"It's Ella," I tell him, and he eases up at the sound of this news.

Ella, what's going on? I ask her excitedly. Did you guys get the Mogs? Where's John?

John's okay, he's flying right now, so he can't exert too much of his energy. We captured the Mogs, even removed their Augmentations. I was pretty badass fighting hand to hand, if I don't say so myself, she tells me.

I let out a whoop of joy, and explain what had just transpired to Sam, who apparently is not receiving Ella's message.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you guys that, and give you some notice for what's about to happen next, Ella says cryptically.

Wait, what? I inquire, a touch of worry in my tone. What's happening over there?

We're headed to the Sanctuary, to see if Legacy has any answers for all the stuff going on. But we didn't just come for a Q&A, she answers.

I pause before giving a response, remembering Ella's name for the Entity. I give the only retort I can think of. What's that supposed to mean? Are you guys doing something else with the Entity?

Roll call, she says simply.

And then her presence leaves my mind.

John

"Did you tell them the news?" I ask Ella, the plan still fresh in my mind.

"Gave em the full update just now," she replies. "They'll be ready."

I give her a thumbs up, though even that's a bit of a struggle for me right now. My energy is slowly beginning to wane again, just like last time, and now I know better than to push myself. Even though we're two hundred miles from the Sanctuary, at our current speed we'd be there in about fifteen minutes. I'd rather not try my luck though.

I explain my ordeal to the two girls, and they agree unanimously on my suggestion to take a quick break and replenish ourselves. We land in a deserted town in New Mexico, and sit on a picnic table that somehow survived the brutality of the desert. I finish off my bottled water, then eat the sandwich Ella packed, still cold thanks to its wrapping. Food had never tasted so filling for me before, though that might've been because of the Loric charm.

I lie facedown on the table, opting not to have Marina heal me, not out of spite, but because this could become a regular occurrence for me. Marina can't always be there to save me, I'll have to find my own way around the exhaustion in the future.

Five minutes later, thanks to the Loric's naturally high strength and endurance, I'm back on my feet, though still a bit shaky. Whatever, I can't stand the sandstorm whipping up at my face much longer, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual between the three of us. I look at Ella and Marina, who still have looks of concern on their faces, and I do my best to ease their worry with a smile.

Although hesitant at first, they both join hands with me after a bit, and Marina gives me a nod and a look of determination, as if to say, I trust you. I return the look, and thank her for her faith in me, even when things appear bleak.

We fly at a high altitude to avoid the sand stream down below, and I do my best to maneuver out of the unforgiving desert as quickly as possible. After about seven minutes, we reach the border of Mexico, and Marina helps direct me to where the Sanctuary had been before Setrákus Ra had destroyed it, except for the well where the Entity is contained.

It takes a while, and I have to slow down to scan the terrain a few times, but after Marina notices a patch of forest, she points triumphantly.

"There!" she announces. "Right past that cluster of trees."

Sure enough, when we zoom ahead, there's a wide stretch of empty land where the Sanctuary once stood, the only evidence of its existence being a giant crater in the ground.

As we cautiously approach the well containing the Entity, I can sense the wave of sadness coursing through Marina, her eyes beginning to well up with tears. I give her a pat on the back, and nod for her to let it out if she has to. She cries into my shoulder, and I can see just how much she cared about this place, as one of the last surviving links to Lorien.

After a bit, her face hardens and she wipes the tears away, nodding at me to engage the Entity. I walk over to the well, hold my hands out, and then wait. I even try bowing in respect and calling out. Nothing happens, even when I try using my telepathy. Did it deem me not worthy of speaking to it? No, I thought. There has to be a reasonable explanation for it all. Perhaps the Entity was now dormant within the Earth and it wanted us to figure things out on our own. Or maybe it thinks we aren't ready yet.

I shrug as if to say, What can you do? It was worth a try at least, we didn't really lose anything from it. I turn to walk away, but then Ella stops me, giving me a tap on the shoulder. When I look at her, she holds three Loralite pendants in her hands. She reaches out to hand them to me, and I hesitate after I recognize the pendants' design.

"Are those . . ." I ask, trailing off, unable to finish my question.

"These are One, Two, and Three's amulets, yeah. Six snatched them off of Setrákus Ra after beheading him," she replies, waiting for me to take them. "Give it a shot."

I carefully take the pendants and walk back over to the well, holding them outstretched in my hands. I glance over at Marina and Ella for guidance, and they nod for me to let go of them. I drop the amulets inside the well, and then there's a tremor in the ground as it begins to shake.

Though my first instinct is to run, I opt to stay put. Maybe I'm being gutsy, but I think I can feel the Entity's presence now. After a while, the shaking of the ground stops, and then there's silence.

Things are quiet, but I can sense something's changed. There's a spark in the air now, and I know that with whatever I just did, it must have triggered something. So it doesn't surprise me when I hear the voice speak out of thin air.

"Garde," it says simply, and I know immediately that it's the firm, yet gentle voice of Lorien itself I had heard so long ago, full of wisdom and knowledge.

"I have heeded your call."

Whew, things are starting to heat up now. Hope you guys are liking where I'm going with this, I'm trying to tie up some loose ends right now from the main series. If you made it this far, you can review, rate, and share as per usual, I don't really need to mention that anymore, do I? Make sure you follow/fav the story if you're enjoying it, it really helps out the story, seriously! If you guys want to make suggestions or give me some ideas for future chapters, or if you just want to talk in general, well make an account first, then you can hit me up on PM!

The best decisions in life are the hard ones to make,

-BasketballIsFun