At the Castle of Meridian…
King Phobos, the Monster King, the Defector of Escanors, Beast Love, and Bringer of Chaos watched his reign from above the castle rightfully his.
Years of his reign brought the ones who rightfully ruled over this land as true lords and ladies, while decedents of invaders and current slaveowners will know the suffering of his people. Justice was served and a king who loved his people, his true people. The Galhot ruled it once and they ruled again. But as the people he loved were freed, there was still a feeling of dread within the king. Rebels wanted his head and will not bend to the true order of the world. Phobos has no love for the children of Escanors, being one himself, but he didn't understand why some of the Galhot, the people who he tried to free from their shackles would turn on him. Maybe they were still under the illusion that they would be treated as equals if they helped.
But Phobos knows all too well that will never happen.
They will always be seen as nothing unless they do something.
Phobos thought alone as he knew that the rebels would want someone who would continue the cycle of abuse once more. They wanted someone who has not been seen in some time. Probably long since dead after her guardians stole her away. They want his younger sister, Elyon.
Phobos grunted and his beloved, darling Cedric sensed his displeasure and slithered to his side.
"My Black Rose Among White Oleanders, what troubles you so? Centuries of your rule have brought our people great happiness and yet you seem somewhat dour." The snake man wondered to his beloved king.
"Even a Demigod's power wanes for exhaustion, even with the energies I have amassed by your love and theirs." He answered, "Still, I cannot help but feel… uneased."
"About the rebels? Calm yourself, my love. This brouhaha will pass, and things will start settling down." Cedric assured.
"Still, I rather not leave things to chance, especially with those slavers yipping at our heels. Once we pierced that disgusting veil, we can finally banish them from our home and this land will be ours again."
"Hmm… Even with the heart, it will be quite a task. So far, your power only has been slowly unwinding it, very slowly."
"Indeed, so we will need to speed things up."
"A little family reunion?"
"Maybe… it is time to see my sister once again-."
"Your Highness! There has been a break in the castle!" General Raythor urgently reported to his king, who looked at his love and his love looked at him.
"I shall deal with this matter. If this intrusion was caused by the rebels or hopefully the rebel leader, they will not last long." Cedric offered to the man he loved.
"Show no mercy if true."
"Don't I always?"
The serpent shapeshifter then left as Phobos continued his work, planning for the mass banishment of the slavers and decedents of invaders. But then felt a strange energy, a quiver in his heart. That was odd… he had almost forgotten how it felt since his long rule. The energy once felt forty years ago, but only sharper, closer…
He gasped in fright as he realized what it was.
"The Guardians… No, no, they are old or most of them are dead. Even if they do return, they are no match for me." He uttered to himself but did not feel better.
His pet soon whimpered... the chimera Hierophant.
"Calm, my pet. All is well. Our paradise is not to be lost and perhaps… we can add another to our collective." He assured her as the animal whimpered from the master's distress.
Outside of the Castle at Hoogong Gorge…
Caleb and Aldarn fled from the castle in the heavy rain while the Hugongs ran for their lives.
"They are coming close! We must flee!" Aldarn gasped as they caught a glance of the armies above them, howling for their deaths.
"We cannot continue this forever! We must find the true heir for our world to be free!" Caleb gritted his teeth as they successfully escaped the troops.
"We have lost him!" One of the soldiers gasped!
"Need not worry. The patrols will find them and the traitors. They will fall and the paradise will finally be complete." Another calmly smiled, having faith in their armies, "Let us return to the castle and inform Lord Cedric. If hazard a guess, he will wish to hunt for them personally."
"Yes, I do." He hissed from behind, startling the others, "They will suffer for trying to disrupt the natural order of things…"
They bowed and allowed the serpent creature to follow them.
If these two can lead him to the base, then it is over.
But what no one knew was that this was just the beginning.
Near Heatherfield…
Will and her recently divorced mother were traveling to their new home, hopefully, to heal from the experience of their family separating.
She was quiet for the most part, still holding the letter her father wrote for her with her melody which would play every time it opened.
To My Cherished Trickster,
I am sorry you suffered because we failed you.
Even when we bicker and fight, it had nothing to do with you, nothing. You were the only good thing in our marriage, our only source of joy. I know you will become something amazing and no matter where you are or what struggles you face, your father will always be there to root for you all the way, and always know you have a home with me, too.
Be mindful of your mother and be strong Will, for you are the strongest amongst us. I will visit you every chance I have, I promise.
Love, your Changeling
Will took the letter to heart, her father would tell stories of myth and folklore about where he came from, even pretending to be a changeling and she was a great hero who defeated him in their game of pretend when she was a little girl. She wished she could turn back time and go back to being a little girl. Her mother sensed her distress.
"Sweetie, I know this has been hard for you. But some change will be good for you and who knows? This might be the start of a big adventure for us." Her mother tried to convince her child, knowing she was still suffering.
"Yeah, adventure. I just want some peace and quiet for a while…" She sighed and then looked out the window to see the heathers.
It seemed that fate has different ideas…
Inside the Closet of Yan Lin…
The elderly woman was making her cup of tea, breathing in the heavenly air…
"The Fifth of the Guardians, its heart has come… look for the changes in the other four… Will…" A voice whispered in her ear, causing her to gasp.
New Guardians?
After all this time?
The only time new Guardians have come is when the realms among the realms are about to enter a transition that could change everything. She could only think of one person who can cause that…
"Phobos…"
So, he has found his way to enter Earth's Realm. He has pierced the veil here.
Will, huh? Does the will of this person show great strength or is it something else? All she can do is wait…
Days before At Castle Metamoorian…
A room was filled with family as they waited for the ruler of the realm to arrive for the big meeting.
These creatures were not mortal beings like Galhot or Children of Escanors, though they were both, they were so much more. Demigods with great powers are born from the bloodlines of the Royal Family of both sides. From their magic, they can command forces only Phobos or his family could have. King Phobos and Lord Cedric could not be more proud of their power, for they were their children and children of their children.
These were the Children of Phobos.
The firstborn was a male named Dominic; Dominic the Prince of The Fallen Star had a seat close to their father Phobos on the balcony.
The second child was a daughter named Orla; Orla the Princess of the Serpent King was seated next to her father Cedric.
The third was Ivo the Jungle's Wrath was seated behind his brother with his arms crossed.
The fourth was Abel the Breath of the Storm, seated behind his sister while his hand rested on his cheek.
The fifth was Cecily the Harmonious Siren in the Deep, seated behind Abel while tuning her harp.
The Sixth was Llewellyn the Volcanic Blacksmith, seated behind Ivo.
The Seventh were twins Eve the Lunar Dancer and Adam the Solar Singer who were separated to be behind their siblings.
The Eighth was Tristan the Lion's Might who stood rather than sat.
The Ninth Millicent the Nymph of Illusions was lying on a chaise longue.
The Tenth was Oona the Black Rose Princess who was looking at the flower growing on her wrist.
The Eleventh was Constantine the Celestial Philosopher who was reading a book.
The Twelfth was Mirabel the Mayhem Bringer who was sleeping in her chair.
The Thirteenth was missing, Alucard the Trickster of Fate.
The Fourteenth was Bronwen the Wolf's Fang sitting and thinking.
The Fifteenth was Severin the Bear's Claw was meditating.
The Sixteenth Emeric the Charmer of Souls was looking at himself in the mirror.
The Eighteenth Corisande the Fauna Master was checking over his whip.
The Nineteenth who was at the edge of the Balcony was Justus the Bane of Infidels.
The grandchildren and great-grandchildren were down below with the generals and lords and ladies to hear important news.
"My children, my kingdom, for too long, our people suffered under the reign of the Children of Escanors. They enslaved us, diminished us, and eliminated us for being beautiful. The guardians of that time did nothing but watch, pretending we were nothing. But when the time of the Great Chaos came, I and my beloved Cedric were able to take the throne and defeat the slavers and lords of that time. The guardians caught wind of our plan of liberation and sealed us away inside the veil. For centuries, I have been attempting to remove this veil and finally make this land ours again." Phobos announced, "As you may know, rebels of both Galhot and Children of Escanors have been planning to bring down everything I have wrought."
"Traitors!"
"Taskmasters!"
"Hang them all!"
"Kill the infidels!"
"Quiet it down, let the King speak!" Dominic demanded as everyone calmed themselves.
"They seek my missing sister… the heir who went missing upon the Great Chaos believed to be dead. But now, we know the truth and we have uncovered a weak point of the veil which leads to the mysterious realm of Earth. It is where the princess was taken. Once my sister returns home, our combined strength will finally reach our ultimate goal and finally be free!"
The people cheered for the king with delight!
"Tristan, Bronwen, Severin, you will accompany me in the search for the rebel leader. I believe he may have found the portal to earth." Cedric informed his sons.
"Want to do him in before sneaking about Earth?" Bronwen wondered, hoping that would be the case.
"Question, if we do find the princess. How do we know it would be her?" Tristan asked his father.
"There will be signs, my children. There will be signs…"
Days later at Heatherfield…
Soon as Will came to Heatherfield was when strange things began to happen to four young teenage girls…
Irma's house…
While prepping for her warm bubbly delight, Irma was on the phone with one of her friends.
"Yeah, the movie with Vance Michael Justin was off the chart! …I know, I know that was awesome!" She squealed with delight!
But as she was talking, she slipped and her phone went flying in the air and was about to hit the tub water! The girl gasped as she tried to grab it before it was ruined, but then something strange happened. The phone never hit the water but was trapped in a bubble.
"Huh?" She gasped, approaching it slowly as the bubble came towards her and popped, the phone landing in her hands.
"Woah… weird."
At Taranee's House…
"I hear that there will be a new girl at your school coming in a bit." Taranee's stepmother informed her with a smile.
"Yeah, I was thinking of making something for her to say welcome." Taranee answered, earning a smile from her mother and father, "I know how she feels about being the new girl in school, so I want her to feel welcomed."
"That's the right attitude to have. Nothing better says, 'welcome to our town' than an assortment of muffins." Judge Theresa Cook encouraged, then noticed the fireplace was lit, "Did someone lit the fireplace?"
"No."
"Nope."
"Wasn't me."
The family soon gathered around since this was the fifth time that the chimney lit on its own.
"I thought you put it out," Theresa questioned her husband.
"I did, I even made certain that the ambers were gone." Lionel answered the woman, "Maybe there's something flammable in the chimney."
Taranee, fearful of the flame, took a step away from the fire as she feared it. Suddenly, her own hand was on fire!
Her mother screamed in terror as her parents and brothers carried her to the sink and put her hand out.
"You okay, Sis?" Peter gasped in fright.
"Y-yeah, I think so."
Theresa looked over her hand and breathed in relief after seeing no signs of burns.
"Okay… everyone stays away from the fireplace." Lionel declared and everyone agreed.
At Cornelia's House…
"Why won't you die, you little shrub?!" Cornelia's whined as she tried to kill the flower, but no matter how much she tried to over-fertilize the flower, it was still beautiful.
Even worse, it was becoming more and more lovely with every touch of Cornelia.
"Oh sweetie, it's so wonderful. It really brightens up the room." Her mother marveled at the plant.
"It is truly charming." Her father enjoyed it.
"It's not supposed to be, it's for a project on how over-fertilizing things could kill plants." She complained.
"Well, you do have a green thumb, my dear." Her father complimented her.
"Hey, Lilian, kill this. I'll give you a chocolate bar."
Lilian then grabbed the plant and tore it to pieces until it was dead.
"Nice, here's your reward."
Lilian then grabbed the candy and fled. The flower was finally dead. But then the moment Cornelia touched it, it sprouted back to life, more beautiful than ever.
"Dang it!"
At the end of the week at Hay Lin's house…
Hay Lin was cleaning up her room before getting ready for school.
"Hay Lin, hurry! It's time to get ready for school!" Her grandmother yelled from downstairs.
"Coming-ah, ah, AHCHOO!"
BOOM!
A thundering sound came from everywhere as a whirlwind caused everything to be flung into the air.
As it was, Yan Lin felt that it was time for the Guardians to rise as their names were heard clear as day…
