The Guardian Within

Chapter 1-The Twilight Sky

I was breathing heavily. My body... was cold. It felt like I was being frozen over... Everything, was so cold. Subtle voices gathered from all around me. Ones I knew, and ones I didn't. But her calming voice was nowhere in the mix.

"You did a good thing, Rhal," One voice said. She sounded like Miss. Oats.

"Yeah," I heard another voice say as large but gentle hands pressed to my arm. I felt, a warmth, flowing through my body. The ice was melting, but, nothing was wet. "I'm glad you found her before Zex did..." I knew this voice...

"Zex..." I muttered as I snapped my head back and forth. It was now that I could feel them.

I had horns.

Quickly I sat up and glanced around the room-deep troubled breathes filing in and out of my lungs with panic. I saw them, all of them. Asch stood to my right, his hands pulling away from my arms. He used... he used his magic on me. Rhys and Pierce stood on each side of Asch. Noi and Lief stood at the far end of the room. At the end of the bed, I was on. They both looked concerned, as if they thought I was going to perish. On the left side of me was someone I've never seen before. Who I could only assume was this Rhal character. He stood in Princely clothing, much like Asch, the same gold band on his pure white horns. His eyes and hair matched Asch's in every way. Black.

"Good to see you're awake," I heard the elderly voice speak. I snapped my head back and saw a small old lady standing there. She looked, almost exactly like Miss. Oats, the only difference I spotted was that her eyes were purple, not baby blue.

"We were so worried," Asch added in, "Luckily my brother found you before Zex did." I glanced over to Rhal and swung my feet on the bed in his direction. Something about him seemed... off. He seemed dangerous, but made no efforts to try and hurt me or the others around him. There was a certain sense to him that I just couldn't seem to ignore.

"Thank you," I said calmly and almost emotionlessly, "So... the horns... someone explain. Now." They all looked down, aside from Rhys who stood tall and came around the bed to my side.

"I had used a part of my power to give you horns like other Damos," He replied, "So that you wouldn't be sought out by other Damos and killed. I merely used it to protect yo-" I held up my hand and stopped him. Taking a breath and looking down at the ground. It was purple, maybe black. It looked like I was in the greatest depths of the galaxy. A million stars, but no true light insight.

"I've been out of Damos, for, who knows how long, almost 20 years?" I begin, my hands slowly turning into fists as I take another breath and relax from the stress those thoughts bring, "It's all... so hard to turn back to... But... I'm here now... with the rest of you... This is a dream... I left Ava behind, my Fathers', everything I ever knew, everything that eve made me feel safe!" I couldn't help it anymore. I had tears down my cheeks and my fist clenched so tight my knuckles had turned white.

"Tris..." I heard Asch begin as I snapped my head up and gave him a hard but gently stare.

"No!" I shouted and stopped him. He looked taken back, but what I was saying, had to be said. "I came here. I did this. I was from here. According to your knowledge. I gave up everything to be here! Everything..." I took another breath and unclenched my fists as I found myself staring back at the ground. "Everything... but you. All of you. You've become my family. I know I'll be safe here, as long as I'm with you guys." I turned to Rhys with the thinnest of smiles, and a wipe of my tears. "Remove the horns. I'm human... and I'm not ashamed to show that. And I'm not scared to either..." Rhys gave me a nod, and before I knew what was happening, I felt... sane again. Like I was human, but at the same time, I felt inhuman.

"Well you weren't wrong," The old lady said coming over towards me, "She's certainly got spirit this one." I stared at her, she seemed... like Miss. Oats. In more way than one, almost like a part of Earth came with me.

"Lady Grandma," I say to her with a nod, "I've heard quite a bit about you." I give her a small bow with a slightly wider smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Royals... be on your best behavior... but... if what Asch and Rhys said was true... I cast a glance over to Asch, he seems tense, nervous almost. I have to protect him. All of them. I was their Guardian there... and I will be here too. No matter what.

"Well, you're a sharp one aren't you?" Lady Grandma calls out with a smile, "Rhal, go find Lady Bish and tell her and Zex I want to speak to them. Both of them!"

"No," I said, "Rhal, please, wait outside. I wish to speak to them myself. I have... my own business to attend to with them." He looked back and forth, getting the nod of approval from Lady Grandma and stepping outside.

"Before you do anything, we've got something to show you!" Noi said all cheerfully. I looked up with a smile.

"Yes," Pierce added in, still as silent as ever... but at least he had a small shred of emotion.

"We all remembered how much you like the stars and the night sky back on E-Arth," Lief said, "So, we wanted to show you ours." I follow as Rhys takes my hand and gently leads me to the window where Pierce and Asch lead me to the roof. It's flat and stagnate, giving off large space as we all come to stand along the top. The sky... it's... it's...

"It's just like in her stories," I said aloud, happy tears stinging my eyes as I thought of her. "Thank you, Mom... Thank you for making all the stories about this... So that I know I'm finally home..."