by Troy Dukart
“Some things are not always what they seem,” Zon assessed.
“Do you think that bloke Ganser did this?” Rousseau asked. Out of curiosity, he threw a rock in the light beam and it shot skyward for as far as our eyes could see. After opening her eyes, Roya smiled.
“I have heard stories about such a mirror; it's beautiful,” she said as I put her on her feet. Roya stumbled but regained her balance, “My friends, we cannot make it to the top without help.”
“Whatcha mean? This thing looks like it could take us all the way,” I argued.
Shaking her head, she replied, “This will only take us to space. Anything beyond that we are on our own.”
“Well shit! That bastard is up there for the party and didn't leave us a pass to get in!” Rousseau joked.
“My people may be able to help. Although we were invaded it doesn't mean we are helpless,” Zon said, “Strafe, tell the Sorians to call General Tatsunomi. His team has special space equipment we can use for this.”
“Space equipment? Ah sure, let me call my Major,” I told him.
After getting on my intercom and talking to Major Ghennon, our leadership was able to reach General Tatsunomi. Zon spoke to him briefly and gave me back my intercom. “They will be here shortly,” he said.
Rousseau pulled out an ice-grenade and tossed it into the fire. It froze the areas with the highest concentration of blaze and mitigated the spread.
I looked back and saw Roya holding her side. She wasn't in good shape. I'd suggested treatment for her wound, but she refused to leave. She told me that this was her destiny, and she wanted to do this for all of Eternia.
Twenty minutes later a Mag-Ship hovered above the Castle. Attached beneath the fuselage were four special Mag-Cycles. They looked like the Light-Cycles from the Tron movies, with black with neon lights flowing through them. They looked incredibly sleek and fast. The Mag-Cycles detached and floated down to us. They tossed down a box with space uniforms before departing.
“Whoa, cool get-up mate!” Rousseau jumped up and down with excitement.
“Fresh!” I concurred.
“These are special space suits we were designing for a new space station. They can propel us through space if necessary. The Mag-Cycles are prototype single man Space-Cycles. We can use these to find Ganser,” Zon explained.
We all put our suits and helmets on before we got on the Space-Cycles. Roya was moving slowly but had the strength and determination to continue. I was worried about her.
We hopped on the Space-Cycles and moved toward the Zorakagami. Our plan was to enter it together and stay close; we had no idea what would be waiting on the other side. As we did, the Space-Cycles tilted upward and we began our ascent through the beam of light. Our acceleration picked up quickly and I noticed I wasn't even pushing down on the throttle; it was rather a natural effect of being in the beam. Before I could even tell the speedometer said we were traveling at over 1000 miles an hour.
The Space-Cycles had covered our bodies in a shield to protect us from the wind and heat which we would experience. I could hardly believe how fast we were going! 2000 miles, then 2500, then 4000, then 7000! At the maximum speed we were going 10,000 miles an hour.
We broke through the troposphere, stratosphere, the mesosphere, the burning hot thermosphere and made it all the way past the exosphere, all within minutes. The beam of light from the Zorakagami dissipated shortly afterward and we began to float in space. Our helmets had radios inside so we could speak to each other.
”This is so cool!” I said.
“Cool doesn't seem enough to describe this feeling right now,” Rousseau commented.
“There, look!” Roya pointed out as we drifted.
We were located in front of one of the three moons, which Eternians called Acionna. On the surface looked something akin to a portal. It shined in a bright blue light and didn't seem natural. As we went to investigate, we noticed we were slowly being pulled in.
“Does this seem right to you? Guys!?” I noticed as the force of the pull got stronger.
“Ganser is inside. We must follow him,” Zon said.
“I guess being in space wasn't enough! Now we have to go inside a moon!” Rousseau joked.
We were pulled into the portal on Acionna and it closed behind us. It went completely dark.
The neon lights on the sides of our cycles were the only light we could see. After a few moments, a gold line cut for as far to the left and right as our eyes could see, like a horizon. It converged and shined bright. We made our way towards the convergence. What seemed so far away only took seconds to reach and standing before us was a golden temple.
The temple had huge, broad pillars and golden steps so beautiful that it seemed like a crime to walk on them. Forming in front of our Space-Cycles was a golden platform for us to land our bikes on. It felt like an invitation. “We move forward,” Zon decided.
“There is only Ganser to stop and we can end all of this war,” Roya winced through pain.
We set down on the platform and began to walk up the golden stairs. I drew my sword in anticipation of the upcoming confrontation with the Senti leader. Nobody knew what might happen once we got inside, but there was no turning back.
Two giant doors stood in front of us, both shiny and golden beyond belief. The doors looked as though they would be heavy, but when I pushed on one, it glided open like it was on ice.
Inside was a large room that housed another portal in the middle of the floor. Someone was crouching next to it, with someone else lying on the floor. As we approached the person standing next to the portal got to their feet and stood around ten feet high. They had long and lanky arms and a golden robe on. When they turned around, we were surprised to see, it wasn't human. Their eyes glowed blue around the retina and blue face-paint from their chin all the way up through their hair. Their skin was bright white. With a small smile, we were greeted, “Hello Eternians…and Earthling. I have been waiting for you to come.”
“Who are you? What is this place?” I asked.
“My name is Bethlaham. I belong to The Ancient Ones, and I am the last of my kind. I have lived here for thousands of years,” Bethlaham told us.
Roya collapsed to one knee. We all rushed to her side to help her, but she shook her head and motioned she was fine.
“Humans can be frail,” Bethlaham said as he poked his finger into the portal.
“What is it you want alien?” Zon said firmly.
“The real question has been how to escape this prison, but the Senti have secured all of the Guardian Powers and Keys for me, as well as the control rod. Now the pathway to Eternia is open,” Bethlaham replied.
“What does all that mean?” Rousseau questioned.
“I am here to claim what has rightfully belonged to my people ever since we stepped foot onto your planet. I have waited for this moment for so long. I must thank you and the Senti for caving into human desire for power. It is extremely reliable; it even surpasses my own kind,” Bethlaham said.
“Hang on,” I piped in, “Eternia and its people belong to no one but themselves. Just like Earth. I don't know what you've been smokin' up here dude, but that's not how things are.”
“The laws of the universe would state otherwise,” Bethlaham replied as he looked down at Ganser, “You see, his life was his own until I took it from him. Now it is no longer his. Just like those.”
With a snap of his finger, our swords shot out from their sheaths. Floating in mid-air around him, Bethlaham smirked. He then turned toward the portal and grabbed the God Blade. The other weapons he tossed away. He waved the God Blade over the portal and it began to shine bright.
“What have you done!?” Zon yelled.
“The control rod, or God Blade, was not yours to begin with, so why are you angry?” Bethlaham replied.
“Control rod?” Roya whispered out.
“The God Blade, is a key, not a weapon. It is the control rod that we used to awaken and order Nian. It
must first absorb all of the Guardian power. I must thank you for gathering them and collecting the emotional constructs that safeguarded this chamber,” he told us.
“So, you're telling us that you orchestrated this whole war from the beginning? Wow, this can't be real…” Rousseau said in disbelief.
“This is correct. While I could not leave this tomb physically, I was able to communicate through dreams to place my inception into others. I came to Ganser because he carried ambitions of world domination and he held a high position. I told him what to do and he followed my command like a good subject should. Guardian Power was bestowed to the human subjects we ruled by one reckless cohort of mine. He figured that the inhabitants should decide their own fate; can you believe that? Letting an inferior species decide such dastardly things?” Bethlaham preached to us.
Before he could say another word, Zon had pulled out his arrow and fired a shot at the alien. Right on the money, it was to hit him right between the eyes but was stopped dead in its tracks in front of Bethlaham. Rousseau tried his luck with his Shatterang and tossed it across the room except it was also halted. Remembering I now too held my brother's power, I fired a blast from my hands at Bethlaham, but he reflected into a nearby statue and destroyed it. Roya tossed her Balis, but he reflected them into the ceiling. Bethlehem calmly turned to us with wide-eyes and a look of grimace. He snapped his fingers again, and we were quickly covered in Slate skin, immobilizing us.
“Who do you think designed these powers you carry? You all will be the first ones to bow down to me and remember who your master is,” Bethlaham stated.
He turned towards the portal and stepped in with the God Blade, vanishing from sight. Claustrophobia began to sink in quickly. I couldn't breathe. I felt weak. These cocoons must've been draining our powers away. We were completely trapped. Strangely, everything in the room began to be pulled into the portal. First the sand on the floor, then rubble, then us!
Chapter 33
Strafe
Everything went black. When I woke up, I was back in New Santa Barbara. I was home. The sun was shining bright and there was even the smell of fresh cut grass and the ocean flowing through the air. My hair was sandy from lying on beach I used to play volleyball at when I was younger. I was near the pier on State Street.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone. It was a man and a dog. They were walking toward the end of the pier. I followed them all the way until the pier ended. The man and the dog sat down on a log with their back to me looking out at the open ocean. When I got closer I felt my heart skip a beat. Before I could ask whom they were, the man said, “Strafe! Come here and sit down with me son!”
Absolutely stunned, I just stood there, trying to say anything but nothing would come out. He looked like he was still young, around 40. His hair was black and he had glasses on. He was wearing khakis and a polo shirt. On his right hand he wore the same watch I was wearing. I hadn't seen him since I was five.
Looking at my wrist, he joked, “Hey, nice watch! Did someone give you that?”
As I sat next to him I studied him intensely. I'd wondered about him all of my life, like I did for Zixin, and now he was finally here. I was shocked.
“My mom gave it to me. She said… it was yours,” is all I could say.
“Ah, so that's where it went. I was wondering after all these years,” the man said, “Hey Brutus! Come say hi to Strafe!”
Dropping the stick, the puppy came running up and jumped in my lap and kissed me. A tear rolled down my cheek because it'd been so long since I held him when he was so small. It also let me know that Brutus was here in heaven, like all dogs should be. I was happy that he was being looked after. I didn't think I would see him so quickly.
“He's missed you a lot. He keeps running around, looking for you and gets sad when he can't find you,” the man said, “He is so smart Strafe.”
As I hugged Brutus and started to tear-up, I looked over at the man and said, “Is that, really you, Dad?”
He patted me on the shoulder and laughed, “The one and only bucko! We've been waiting for you.”
“Dad, I, I, there are so many things I wanted to say and ask you, but, am I dead?” I asked after I dried my tears.
“No son, you're just asleep. That's the only way we could talk to you, isn't that right Bruty?” my dad replied as he rubbed Brutus' head. Brutus barked in agreement.
“So, why haven't you tried to talk to me before, like Zixin did? I never really knew why you left Mom and me for so many years. She thought you kidnapped Zixin and ran away,” I questioned.
My dad looked down at the ground while pushing up his glasses. He exhaled a deep breath, and then looked out into the ocean,
“Because it was the only way to keep you safe my son. Long before you knew, the Federation had been interested in our “Gifted Boys.” This war has been going on a long time in the underground, a war we wished to prevent. Unfortunately, some things, like the truth, can't be contained.”
“So why did you take Zixin…and not me?” I asked as I rubbed Brutus' belly.
He motioned for me to sit closer as he put his arm around my shoulders, “You see son, Zixin had become aware of his gifts at an early age. By the time he was three, he had almost full control of his Guardian ability and was doing things nobody had ever seen before. Your mother was worried sick that they'd take you both away from us, so I decided to take Zixin and myself to a shrine where he could absolve himself of this gift, or so I was told. Unfortunately, my informant was from the Federation, trying to take control of Zixin under my ignorance. He led us right into a trap.”
“Why didn't you tell mom about it? She could never tell me why you left,” I told him.
He looked to me, “It's because she wouldn't agree to separate you two, let alone the family. I was faced with the decision myself; do I risk my entire family or do I try to save my children by trusting a man that could help me free them from their burdens? Like Zixin might have told you, during the ceremony at the Temple, a demon slipped inside his soul that was set up by this Federation bastard. The demon went berserk and killed everyone performing the ritual, even, me.”
“Uhhh,” is what I could muster out as a lump formed in my throat.
“What kept me away from you in your dreams was the demon in Zixin' body. It put up a barrier to do so. I prayed many times but the demon's magic was too strong. You and Zixin were so closely linked that he could come to you, but only here on Eternia. Only when the demon was distracted,” my dad told me.
“So, you were watching over me,” I said with a smile.
He brushed my hair and said, “Always and forever my boy, we are bonded through our Native Blood, the Blood of the Sky Water Tribe. You are so close to the end of this my son, but you can't do this alone.”
“You're talking about my friends right?” I asked.
“Yes. You all must work together to stop Bethlehem's resurrecting Nian. If he does, Guardian is the only thing that can stop him from destroying both realities,” dad said.
“How do I do this dad? What do we need to do, I don't even have my sword anymore,” I pleaded.
“Your weapon will always be with you, but you will need to dig deep to find the Passion that I know you have. Once each of your strongest emotions shine through, only then will Guardian appear,” my dad directed.
Swirling white clouds began forming over the pier. The wind began to pick up, which scared Brutus as he scooted in between us. The three of us looked up and saw a bright glowing light shining in the middle of the vortex. “Well, it looks like our time is up Strafe,” my dad said, “I wish you could've stayed longer.”
“Dad!” I yelled as I began to float up off the bench, “I don't want to leave yet!”
“Enjoy your life Strafe! That is all I ask, because you deserve it. If you ever want to speak again, all you have to do is look for me in your dreams! Remember I await for you in the Promised Land. Be strong my son and trust your instincts,” my dad waved as he he
ld Brutus.
“Bark Bark!” Brutus barked as I floated away.
“I'll see you again baby! I love you!” I cried to Brutus as I waved back to them, wiping my tears.
Floating above the pier, I got closer and closer to the shining light in the sky. Right before I was sent through, I looked down one more time to my dad. Just like Zixin, I had always felt the weight of his absence. It felt like a part of me was always missing, and when I grew up I'd wished for someday to find out why he left my mom and I.
There had been stories that he abandoned us for some other woman, or he was a drunk or a criminal. After this brief meeting I was happy to find out that he'd tried to do the best he could for our family.
Chapter 34
Strafe
We woke up, still trapped in the cocoon. I looked through the red crystal that covered me and saw my friends encased the same around a glyph on the floor. We were in a huge, almost limitless dimension with gridlines of light everywhere. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker.
No matter how much I struggled, the Slate-skin wouldn't break. I was beginning to lose hope, but when I closed my eyes I saw something amazing. I saw the various auras of Roya, Rousseau and Zon light up. We had to do this together.
Our auras glowed brighter and then dimmed, but we weren't synchronized. I tried to make a rhythm to get us in-synch. Hopefully they would catch on. Vibrations began to rumble throughout the Slate-skin, and even bits of it began to crack. Our aura's power grew stronger and stronger, and each time the vibration got more intense. Finally, like a brigade working together to knock down a door, we flicked on our brightest aura and shattered the cocoons that imprisoned us!
After falling to the floor and gasping for air, I got to my feet. “Guardian,” we all said in-synch. Roya's, Rousseau's and Zon's weapons were strangely next to where they were encased. They picked them up and we marched on.
