A/N: Hi all, decided to revive this fic after damn near a decade of hibernation. This chapter has been on my hard drive for the last 8 years, but I felt it was worth reviving now that my muse has returned. Considering I just finished my Twisted Wings story I figured a different fandom would be a nice change of pace.

Anyhoo, let's start the fun, shall we?

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Guardian

"Ugh, how much farther do we have to go?" Liliana asked pained as she and Sigui trekked through the dense foliage. Swampy residue squished with every soggy step they took through the marshland.

"It's not too far from here. Just stay close."

Liliana ducked under some branches and continued to follow. "Care to remind me why we're out tromping through this slug-infested swamp again?"

The inquisitor shot a glance back at her but kept hiking onward. "The dance ritual went according to plan, but the energy released when your blood sank into the amulet wasn't on par with what the ancient text made it out to be. In fact, it was quite weak. Therefore, I'm taking you to see the Guardian of Metal himself."

"Wait, so you mean he's still alive after all these years and we can speak to him face to face?"

"Of course." She replied. "The Guardian of Metal is deistic in nature; one with the world. He is eternal."

"But why do we need to see him?"

"Because you are Ozborn. The Guardian of Metal's blood runs through your veins, Liliana. If anybody can tell us why your strength is not at full potential, it's him."

"I see. Have you ever met him?"

"I'm afraid not. In fact, no one has seen him in over millennia."

"Why not?"

"Because only a true Ozborn descendant can be granted access to his domain. Speaking of which," Sigui halted her footing once atop the marshland hill. "we have arrived."

Liliana came to arrest her stride not long after. She swallowed a gasp the size of a coconut when she saw what awaited her. Before them erected a mighty stronghold. Atop it, Ormagoden's all-encompassing visage glared over the grounds they walked. Sigui held up the amulet, glazened with Liliana's blood and the fire beast's eyes exploded red like a motorcycle backfiring. Steam exhaled from its nostrils and chrome tusks. Moments later, a crevice etched on the entrance pulled back into the wall. It looked like a keyhole, and judging by the shape, the amulet would fit.

Sigui and Liliana approached the entrance with caution. The inquisitor placed the blood amulet inside the crevice and gave Liliana a sideways glance.

"Are you ready?"

Liliana firmly nodded and the inquisitor pressed the amulet inward. The lock turned on its own and the stone barricade pulled itself apart. On the other side was a steel garage door, rustic and timeworn. Slowly the mechanism coiled it upward. The two stepped inside.

"Welcome to the metal forge, Liliana." Sigui said, voice echoing.

Liliana scrapes the gunk off her boots on the fleshy canvas and they venture inward.

It was as if the motor forge itself was a living creature. The interior resembled a large throat, even a uvula hung at the center between them.

After traveling down the motor forge's bony throat for several minutes, they came to the bowels of the beast. The place was massive, like they reached the molten cauldron of the continent. Rocky stalagmites jutted from every conceivable direction, from walls, from lava pits. Everywhere.

Titans far in the distance clanged their massive hammers on molten iron husks, while pterodactyls swooped in from above and below the fiery abyss.

As the two stood in awe with their eyes wandering over the vista, the sound of an echoey cackle echoed in a trifecta.

"Heh, heh, heh."

Both took several steps back as a splash of lava leaped forth from the lake of molten metal below. When it hit the ground, it spiraled upward from the splatter and into a humanoid figure. Long dark strands took shape from the apex, as did an ivory complexion of skin housed by a pitch-black shroud, sinking past the figure's legs.

Sigui swallowed a lump in her throat and motioned her arms toward Liliana immediately. The being before them must have been the one the legends foretold.

"On your knees, Liliana!" Sigui demanded, shoving her shoulder towards the ground with her hand. "Now!"

She did as asked. "Alright, alright, sheesh."

A crescent glimmer swiped across the figure's dim shades as he stretched his limbs and exhaled a loud yawn. "How long have I been out for?" He rubbed the back of his head and unraveled the sleeve of his other arm, glancing at his watch. "Twelve hundred years? No, no that can't be right." He tapped the watch a few times with his finger. "Bloody hell's wrong with this thing." He then took note of the two bombshells bowing before him. "Oh...'ello there. Is there something you need?"

"Oh most illustrious Guardian of metal." Lady Sigui begun. It was hard to tell whether she was overplaying it or serious in her verbal approach. "Please forgive our sudden intrusion, for we lowly mortals seek guidance."

The Guardian of Metal's eyes were now shifting from left to right along with his index finger which alternated pointing between the two before him. "Ummm...okay? And you two are?"

"A thousand pardons." She bowed lower, exposing more of her panties to the camera. "I am the inquisitor, Sigui."

A brief pause then coated the hellish atmosphere. Sigui nudged Liliana with a few swift elbows to her side when she noticed the Guardian looking directly at her.

"Oh, um...right. I am Liliana. Captain Liliana. The reason we're here is-"

"Are you two lesbians by any chance?" The metal god cut her off in what could only be described as a stream of consciousness.

After a pause he said, "No?... Ok, just thought I'd ask. So," he began, raising his arms high above his head. From the rock beneath his feet, stalagmites emerged, both behind him and his two visitors. The one behind him crumbled into a throne while Liliana and Sigui's collapsed into a rocky booth. Both were garnished with the skulls of decapitated bats and a pair of giant bat wings serving as their back support. He took a seat, and gestured them to do the same. "What can the Guardian of Metal do for you both this evening? It's not often the Guardian of Metal has the honor of sharing his domain with others."

Sigui crossed her legs and put her hands to her lap as she spoke. "It is not what you can do for me, but what you can do for my companion, for she has been proven to be this generation's Ozborn."

"Has she now?" The guardian said. "Well then, step forward. Let me get a good look at you."

The Captain glared at Sigui for reassurance, and she nodded. Adjusting her pirate hat along with her posture, Liliana rose from her seat and took three steps forward. The Guardian of Metal liquified before her eyes into plasmic lava, poured off the throne, and lunged towards her, re-humanizing upon landing mere inches before her face, startling her quite a bit.

Putting a hand to his chin, the Guardian looked deep into Liliana's hot-pink eyes and cocked his head a bit. He slowly wandered around her in a circle, spouting many 'hmm's' and 'humm's' as he pondered about.

"Quick question." The Guardian of Metal asked, looking in Sigui's direction.

She was taken by surprise. "Y-yes? What is it?"

"Is it accustomed to dress this fuckin' skimpy nowadays? Not that I care. Just wondering is all."

Sigui blushed upon hearing this, as did Liliana.

Sigui cleared her throat. "We mainly dress this way to be more adept in combat. More clothing means more burden to deal with."

"So I see...yes…keep telling yourself that, darling."

A cross-cutting vein pulsated in the corner of Sigui's forehead as she grit her teeth. Though she wouldn't admit it, the holy one before her was getting under her skin. The Guardian of Metal was testing her patience as he went about his business. Then the thought occurred to her...

A test? Yes! This annoyance must have been a test of endurance of some kind. Something to really challenge my loyalty to the faith!

With this in mind, Sigui straightened posture and cleared her mind.

Tapping Liliana's chin skyward, The Guardian of Metal stared through his dimly tinted round shades and into her eyes. They maintained stance for a brief moment, and the Guardian backed away.

"I see myself in you, sugarplum." he said.

Liliana smiled. Her true nature was now revealed. Within her grew a Godly essence; one that will no doubt lead to her rule over the continent. Everything she'd ever desired would now be hers.

But then the Guardian of Metal said one other thing.

"But the power which lies within you has been heavily drained by something; someone."

"And what do you mean by that?" Liliana rightfully asked.

"It means that while you still are Ozborn, your godhood has been stolen. You are, in fact, mortal, my love."

"Wait, hold on a second. If what you're saying is true, then doesn't that mean-"

"Yes." The Guardian of Metal held up his hand to silence her. "Yes hun, that means you can, in fact, die."

"Ohohoho, well we won't have to worry about that then." Liliana said, puffing out her chest with a prideful flourish. "I'm already dead."

"No you're not." The Guardian of Metal commented with a stoic sternness. "You're as lively now as the day you were popped outta your mum."

"Huh?"

This not only raised Liliana's brow, but Sigui's as well. Had he knowledge either of them weren't in possession of?

"Forgive my doubts," Sigui said, breaking the awkward silence. "but last I heard, Liliana was brought back as an undead servant to the swamp witch. She's been serving her for the last decade since her fatal encounter with the kraken."

"Then for the last decade she has been lied to. Trust me, I'd know a zombie if I seen one. Reminds me of an ol' chap of mine. We called him Rob."

Liliana and Sigui looked at each other, shared some blinks, the turned back to the Guardian. "What?!"

That seemed to interrupt his train of thought. He cocked his head at them for just a moment. "Hmm? Was it something I said?"

"Could it be true?" Liliana asked, clenching her fist before her eyes. "Am I truly still alive? How can this be?" Then a memory sparked behind her eyes. "Wait, if that's true, then when Sigui had me at the mercy of Bethel's Siphon...I could have actually been killed?!" Liliana stared daggers at Sigui, who was leaning back feigning innocence.

"Bethel's Siphon, you say? I knew that bass on your back looked familiar. I haven't seen that thing since before I took my 1200 year slumber. Mind if I have a look-see, darlin'?"

Sigui did as asked and presented the holy bass guitar to the Guardian. Making sure to go down to one knee as she did so.

"No need for the flourishes, darling, just hand the blasted thing over."

After looking it over, he exhaled some flares from his nostrils and looked back up at the inquisitor.

"Thing's older than I am and it still looks good as new. You've done a fine job, Lady Sigui."

The inquisitor blushed at his shockingly formal tone as he hands it back to her. "Um, thank you. Your words honor me, though it should be said that the church has passed down this holy instrument thousands of years before I was born. We've all done our best to keep it in good care. However, I hate to change the subject, but there is still the issue with Liliana's godhood that needs to be addressed."

The Guardian of Metal hung his head. "There's nothing else I can do for you, I'm afraid. To further tackle this problem, you'll need to consult the titans themselves in heaven."

"Heaven?" The inquisitor paraphrased. She couldn't believe her ears. Liliana was to now request an audience with the beings she worshiped her entire life? With the blessing from the Guardian of Metal himself? Even with all her praying and mastery of various holy poses, Sigui had never been offered such an honor. It made her lip quiver with jealousy. But still, one question remained, "How is she to get there?"

A crescent glare swiped across the Guardian's glasses as he turned away from the cliff and looked her in the eye. "Why, you climb the stairway, of course."

"There's a Stairway?"

"To Heaven?"

"Yes, but first a special instrument must be used to summon it. The same instrument Lady Sigui is holding right now."

"Bethel's Siphon has the power to-"

"Open a portal to the gates of heaven, and with it, a stairway." The Guardian finished for her.

She looked into her holy bass deeply. "I- I had no idea Bethel's Siphon contained such power as to open the gates to the almighty domain of heaven itself."

The Guardian put a finger to Sigui's lips, silencing her. "Only the Titans and I know of the bass guitar's hidden essence. But, this power can only be used once every thousand years and only one person may be granted entrance. So if we're going to do this, we have to make it count the first time since we only get one shot of this."

"Understood." Sigui nodded. "Where are we to perform the ritual, though?"

"Right here in the metal forge."

"Here? But why? I do not mean to offend, oh guardian, but isn't it too cramped?"

"Not at all, love. There is a portal that will open as the stairway is called forth. Besides, I figure it's best we keep this ceremony out of view of the public's eyes. We don't need rumors spreading around about a once-feared pirate captain having a one-way ticket to heaven."

"Your reasons are valid, true." Sigui said, stroking her jaw.

"Plus I don't think it would be wise for us to give a heads up to whoever is stealing my godly essence knowing that I know I'm Ozborn now." Liliana spoke up.

"Right, what she said." The Guardian shrugged. "Now, Sigui, will you do the honors for us?"

Sigui flashed a smile and nodded. "Of course, my liege."

Liliana and her deistic ancestor stood silent as Sigui worked her magic over the strings of the sacred instrument and began to sing. The Guardian couldn't help but smile at the mere perfection of rhythm. The soft groove, mixed along with Sigui's passionate voice and plucking of the strings transfixed them. Then, upon the solo, a portal opened far and high above the Guardian of Metal's domain. Curtains of light streamed down and upon the three, temporarily blinding Liliana. She put a hand out to block the light. Not long after, a transparent bridge of steps began to take form at the end of the cliff at which they stood. It stretched and weaved about like a great wind, coiling around the massive titan servants and iron monuments, but always ascending higher and higher.

The Guardian gave Liliana a pat on the back and leaned into her shoulder as the serpent of steps winded closer and closer to the top of his lair. "Well, darlin', I guess this is where we part ways. For now, at least."

"You mean you want me to climb all of those steps? Alone?"

"You'll be fine, love. Trust me. You got my blood runnin' through your veins."

The song ended, and Sigui approached the two. "I guess my work here is done, then. May I accompany Captain Liliana on her journey to heaven?"

"Hmmm, 'fraid not, sugarplum. Only one person per thousand year visit. Besides, I need you for another task."

"And what might that be?"

"You'll see." He turned back to Liliana who was just standing there watching the two bicker. "Well, shoo now. Shoo, shoo. Go. We'll have something special ready for you when you get back."

"Something special?" Liliana reiterated.

"Yes something special. You'll see it when you return." He marched Liliana along to the edge of the cliff and the first step she was to take. "Run along now, sugarplum."

Liliana looked toward Sigui, who gave her a reassuring nod. She nodded back and turned to the steps taking one at a time.

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A/N: So, interested in seeing more of this? If so, follow and leave me a review!