Headphone Actor
Posts : 668
Poké : 5240
Join date : 2012-09-28
Location : In your computer~
 |  Subject: SOUL GUARDIANSHIP  Wed Apr 30, 2014 1:40 am | |
| Okay, so this is a huge thing I wrote for school. It's over 4000 words and takes up a little over 14 pages. Tis a long read, so brace yourselves. - SOUL GUARDIANSHIP:
I am in way over my head. While most students my age would be relaxing and hanging out with friends my summer vacation puts the fate of a completely alien world into my incapable hands. I’m supposed to be a “powerful leader,” and I was “destined to do this since birth,” but I have absolutely no idea what the person who decided my fate was thinking…or drinking for that matter. No one in their right mind would ever choose me to save a world unless they actually wanted it destroyed. My partner is just as bad. Not only am I lost on what to do, but I’m supposed to work together with a person I barely even know.
I remember how this all started like it was yesterday, although that cliché is pretty inaccurate. It was exactly a week ago.
The last day of school was over. Summer vacation was finally here! I could see it: late nights staying up on the computer with a bag of chips and a soda, sleeping in until noon, no homework, nd no studying. Those thoughts feel like mere fantasies now. I was so close, yet so far.
I walked home alone, as per the usual. The electronic music blaring from my headphones drowned out the din of the conversations going on around me. To be honest, I don’t have much in the way of friends. My life is generally solitary. Some would call me a hermit. I prefer the term “lone wolf.”
It wasn’t until I was halfway home that this all started. It had begun to rain. Over the last few days it had been cloudy, gloomy, and rainy. Mother Nature messed up big time. Normally it is nice around Springside this time of year, but instead it’s abysmal. I put my hood up and continued walking. Then he came.
Without knowing why, I fell forward onto the cold, wet pavement. I was able to brace myself with my arms fast enough so luckily the most injured place was my arms. They were kind of scraped up and a little blood was drawn. It wasn’t serious, but it still stung. I got up to find a boy and his skateboard looking up at me with an embarrassed grin. He had fallen, too.
“Watch where you’re going,” I yelled angrily, “you idiot!”
“Woah, hey! It was an honest mistake! I couldn’t stop in time!” he replied.
“You could’ve said something!”
“I did! You ignored it!”
“Oh.”
The downside of having my headphones on with music so loud was now apparent; I could’ve kept this from happening if I had just turned the volume down. I didn’t expect anyone to talk to me, and my assumption of that had just bitten me in the butt.
The boy got up with little struggle. He didn’t have any protection on; not even something as simple as a helmet. I figured as much. He was a lanky kid, around my age. I had seen him before but never paid him much heed.
“Hi.” He said after a short silence. “I’m Todd. You?”
I paused before replying with a simple, “Tara.” Why he wanted my name was a mystery. He had just ran into me! Not like it would matter much. Either way we’d know each other’s names eventually.
“Pleased to meet ya’, Tara. Now, can you tell me why that bush is glowing?”
“Uh, what?”
“You heard me. Look behind you.”
I turned around, not knowing what I was expecting. Was this a joke, a simple prank to get me to turn around for his enjoyment? Still, curiosity got the best of me, and slowly I turned around. There is was: the glowing bush that Todd was talking about. I stepped back a bit. How could he point that out so casually? Were glowing bushes a normal sight for him? Still, I had to check it out. I knelt down, careful to not get my sweat pants wet and dirty, and reached into the bush. There must’ve been something causing it!
I’m not one to believe in magic or the paranormal…Or at least I wasn’t. I had always thought that everything had a logical explanation. I could never have been more wrong.
While blindly feeling around inside the bush, I felt something enclose around my wrist. I remember screaming, and then I blacked out...
When I opened up my eyes I was floating in a pitch black void, although I appeared like I was in full lighting. I reared back in surprise and ended up flipping backward through the strange area. It was nauseating and definitely unsettling. Was I dead? I knew that couldn’t be right.
Todd appeared. There was simply a flash of light, and then he was there with me. He had almost the same reaction, and he too tumbled backward into the void.
Where exactly was I?
It was now that I decided to look around a bit; there really wasn’t anything to see except the pitch black nothingness surrounding me. However, I noticed something on my wrist: a black band with a bright red gem on it. Was that what wrapped around my wrist in the bush? Was it what had brought me here in the first place? I attempted to take it off. I had thought that if I did it would let me out of this strange place. It wouldn’t come off no matter what I tried, but when I accidentally touched the jewel it flashed and turned into what seemed to be a black and red shield. Once again, I was caught by surprise.
Then it talked.
“Mistress Tara! Welcome! Sorry for the short notice, but this was the easiest time to summon you and Master Todd. Anyway, call me Red! Your soul guardian training starts today! Isn’t that exciting?”
I had absolutely no idea what any of that meant. I just floated there unable to form any words. I glanced at Todd to see if he was listening. He seemed to have done what I did, but ended up summoning a blue and white sword instead. The sword appeared to be pulling on the arm that was holding it as it led him over to where I was. Once we were next to each other, the sword and shield floated out of our grasp and began to talk. How they talked, I still have no idea. Telepathically perhaps, but I could tell that their “voices” weren't in my head.
“You seem confused,” started Red.
“And you have every right to be,” finished the sword.
“We are Red and Blue, and we were sent from the Realm of Soul to prepare you for the adventure that is to come.”
“We are here to help train and protect you. Do not fret. If you follow our instructions during training everything will be fine in the end.”
What they were saying made even less sense than before!
After a long and confusing conversation with many questions, we were able to barely gather the information we needed. Todd and I were what was known as soul guardians, which meant that we have magical powers and talking items that will supposedly help us. Ever since our births we were destined to save the Realm of Soul from a strange, infectious darkness that was corrupting the land. We were supposed to find and reach the source of the darkness and destroy it. Red and Blue made it sound like it was easy, but I highly doubted it and I still do now. Todd seemed all up for this, though. He’d been taking this a lot better than I was.
After all that we were released from the void. It was almost as if no time had passed. Overwhelmed, confused, and rather freaked out, I headed straight home and promptly took a nap to let my brain sort things out a bit better. I didn’t wake up until early the next day. The sun wasn’t even out! I still had the bracelet though. I was tempted to tap the gem to see if I could summon Red again, but I decided not to. I didn’t want my curiosity to get the best of me.
It was around dawn when we were called for another training session. We had them in the same void as before for the rest of the week. With the proper coaching we learned our powers quickly. I have to admit, some of it was pretty cool. If I didn’t have to save a world I would probably be completely happy with this. I could get fame and fortune with my magic “tricks” as long as no one got too nosy. Plus there was probably a ton of everyday uses for this!
Me and Todd have different and opposite magical abilities. My magic is offensive, with abilities like flames and energy blasts and basically anything I could think of that could do damage. Todd’s, on the other hand, is more defensive and support-oriented. He’s got magical shields, barriers, things like creating traps, and slowing down opponents. We aren’t the best at complementing each other, though. We were told multiple times by Red and Blue that we should work together and use our powers to the other’s advantage, but we haven’t gotten that down yet. I doubt we ever will.
Now we’re here, standing in front of a swirling purple portal in the dead of night. Not to mention the fact that it is pouring out! Out of all the days to save a world, must it be dark, gloomy, and rainy? I mean, we won’t be dealing with the rain unless it’s also raining in the Realm. I really hope it isn’t, but knowing my luck I’ve probably just jinxed it.
There’s no point in thinking about this stuff, though. We’re going to go in there, save the Realm of Soul, or die trying. I have a strong feeling that we may just die trying.
I tap the gem on my bracelet…Todd follows. Instantly there’s a flash and Red and Blue appear in our respective hands. I am anxious for the future. Will I ever come back? Will I be missed if I don’t? What about Todd? I don’t want to go. I just want to be normal, or at least not have to do this. Like I said, the powers are cool. The whole Realm of Soul thing isn’t.
Todd holds Blue more confidently than I. He’s kept a level head this whole time. That fact makes me jealous. If only one of us makes it out, I’m sure it’ll be him.
There’s silence until the female voice of Blue speaks up, “Are you ready guardians?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I mutter. Todd nods in agreement.
“Jump in then,” says Red. “Just remember that the Realm of Soul is a dramatically different place than Earth. Magic is more prominent, so there’ll be no holds barred. You should be able to tap into your soul guardian instincts better, so that’s a plus. Be careful out there, and remember that we’re here to help!”
“Gotcha,” replies Todd. I wonder if he knows what that means. I can barely comprehend it myself.
I’m scared to enter the portal. In our week of training neither of us had entered the realm. We were only educated about it. What kind of darkness would we be facing?
Todd jumps in first. It’s my turn. I can’t keep him waiting. I might not want to be here, but I’m not so cold-hearted as to leave Todd there to die. That would be wrong, and I’m sure if I did I’d regret it for the rest of my life, even if he did come back out alive in the end. I jump in.
I black out again. It’s the same feeling as when I found the bracelet last week. When I open my eyes I’m falling, falling, falling…but I’m not panicking. Those “instincts” Red was talking about must’ve been that, and I end up landing with a roll as if I were trained in parkour. Todd is already down on the ground. We glance at each other before looking around the Realm of Soul. Rolling hills, rivers, meadows, forests… I’d call it beautiful, but it’s twisted. Corrupted. Broken. Pitch black living shadows have devoured and darkened the land and sky. Is this what we’re up against? It doesn’t look too bad. I mean, it definitely isn’t good, but how could it attack us? It’s creepy. It’s unnatural. I don’t like it, but I’m not scared. Why am I not scared? Should I be scared for that matter?
I kneel down and without a second thought I poke a bit of the shadowy residue. It withers away at my touch and smoke as black as the darkness itself is released with a slight hiss. My finger stays on the shrinking shadow until it dissolves into dark smoke. Really, was that it? Do we just have to clean up all of this? That would take forever, but it seemed like it wasn’t dangerous in the slightest.
Red, who had transformed back into his bracelet after entering, speaks up. “Tara, don’t underestimate this darkness. It will attack if you let it, so be careful with what you do.” His voice emanates from my wrist.
“Okay then,” I reply back. I’m definitely skeptical.
I get up again and look over at Todd. He’s scanning the landscape for any clues on where to go next. Then he points at something in the distance.
“There,” he says. His finger is directed at what looks to be a tower in the distance. Ebony clouds originate from its top, but strangely it doesn’t seem to be covered in the darkness. It was surprisingly bare. “We need to go there.
I nod in agreement. Yes, that tower – or whatever it is – should be our target. All of this corruption seems to originate from there. Still, nothing is going to be that simple. I can tell.
“So what’s our plan of action? We can’t just walk up there, can we?” I ask.
“I dunno. It looks like it to me,” Todd replies.
“She’s right. It won’t be that easy.” says Red.
“Haven’t you noticed? Look around. Time is of the essence!” adds Blue.
I follow what Blue says and glance around. The once stationary darkness was forming into strange shapes like it was clay. I release Red from my bracelet and Todd does the same. Living shadows in the shapes of vaguely familiar animals are rising, making growls and hisses, that sound like nothing from the earth I inhabit.
I grip the shield that is Red tightly and try to remember everything I was taught, but nothing specific comes to mind. I can’t lose my head now. Not when the fight was just getting started. However, I’m still not scared. Was I actually meant for this? Perhaps Todd and I truly were the right candidates for this job from the start. Being soul guardians could really be the destiny we were meant for, but at what cost?
One of the monstrous silhouettes lunges at me and although I’m not quick enough to react, Todd is. He waves his free hand and a translucent white dome appears around us. The beast presses into it like a bird trying to go throw a window. Black liquid stains smear onto the barrier as the shadow slides down it, but they quickly fade as if they were never there. More and more are coming against the dome, clawing and scratching, all the while leaving their dark, fading residue. If Todd lets the boundary down, all of them will come into contact with us.
I attempt to hit our shadowy opponents from behind the boundary by casting a magical flame from my palm and sending it out toward the monster that had originally attacked us. It gets stuck inside. Nothing can get in. Nothing can get out. However, the flame doesn’t fade. It just stays there, floating and pressing against the dome. A plan forms in my head and I begin to fill the sides of the dome with the flames I had conjured. They’re special in a way that they can’t harm us, but it’s still getting hot in here.
“Todd, release the dome,” I command.
Todd nods silently and waves his hands. The boundary dissipates into sparkles and the magical fire flies out at all the shadows. The flames cut holes and dissolve the beasts wherever they attempt to fly through while creating more of the black smoke from before. The first wave has been cut down significantly, but there was still plenty more for us to get past.
One, a wolf-like creature, jumps at me. Like I’m going to fall for that one again. I hold up Red to block it and it bounces off. I stagger back a little, but I don’t fall. I retaliate with a quick magical beam from my palm, which not only pierces through that monster but carves a hole through the shadows behind me. This couldn’t be that easy
.
Todd is slashing at a few of the creatures. He casts a bright light that draws them back as if it was poison. We fight with light, but we don’t get anywhere.
“We’ve gotta get moving,” I say, “even though this is easy we haven’t been moving any closer to our target. How are you holding up anyway?”
Todd glances at me as he repels more of the darkness and shrugs like these battles were a daily occurrence. He replies, “I’m fine. I dunno how I’m doing this so easily, but I am. Isn’t it amazing?”
“Yeah, it really is.” This has definitely been easy so far. Our status as aura guardians and the fact that we were in the Realm of Soul must have something to do with it, but how and why are two questions I have no answer for. Still, my doubts are gone. I can do this. Previously ordinary me, who has never had any prior experience in fighting, can do this.
“I agree with you though. We’ve got to get moving.”
“Keep the light up. We’ll run through.”
“On it.”
With a snap of his fingers, Todd brings back the light he had used earlier. It was bright, but not eye-hurting. It was just strong enough to melt a path through the shadowy mold. He leads and I run behind him. I occasionally have to knock the shadows back a bit, but it is generally smooth sailing…for a little while at least.
It seems as if the closer we get to that citadel the stronger the shadows are. Despite the light, they creep ever closer to us. I conjure up a wind and it keeps the darkness at bay but it doesn’t blow the shadows back as much as I’d prefer. Todd seems to have noticed this.
“This isn’t working much anymore,” he says, still holding up the light.
“No, really?” I say back. “Way to state the obvious!”
“Seriously though, we’ll have to fight are way through to the rest of the tower, won’t we?”
I look at the tower. It wasn’t too far away anymore. Maybe a block. As we spoke the darkness was closing in. We can’t continue to discuss this for much longer. We have to take action!
“Yeah. Let’s go, there’s no time to waste.”
The second part of the fight begins. The shadow creatures reform into more complex figures and shapes. Now we’re in real danger. I can tell. Todd continues to hold up the light for some backup and he uses Blue to attack but it is mostly just me. We fight on like this, making sure to head closer and closer to the tower.
One beast that didn’t look like any animal I’ve ever seen was able to scratch my arm. It stung more than the scrape from falling that I had gotten way back when, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. A trio of claw marks of the same color of the creature that had made them was now on my arm, but strangely they began to fade away similarly to the residue on the dome. The pain subsided with them.
Eventually we make it to the tower, but we’re definitely beaten and worn down substantially. There was no door to the tower, only a hole in the side that was large enough to let someone in. Todd and I look at it and then shake our heads. It wasn’t going to be that easy. The inside of the tower would likely be flooded with the gloom. Chances were, what with how we fought moments before, we weren’t going to make it up alive. The only other way to get up there was to climb up the side.
Todd looks up at a side of the round tower and with a wave of his hands he creates thick vine-like ropes that creep down from the tower’s top. It’s impressive how far away he can have the vines originate from. He starts climbing and I follow.
The climb is long and more suspenseful than anything. We ascend in silence and stay alert. There were now flying monsters that resembled flying dinosaurs and large birds of prey. I have a feeling one might come in and pick us off from the tower’s side, but none do. For some reason I don’t think they notice us. How far away could they see?
Finally we reach the top. Once we’re standing on the top Todd destroys the vines we had used. The top was void of darkness. The only thing there was a giant crystal that was black as night. It did create the darkness, but in the form of swirling clouds we had seen from afar when we looked up here earlier.
“Break the crystal,” I command. It’s the most logical thing to do, at least in my head. “Use Blue.”
“Okay,” Todd replies, “but I don’t believe it’ll be that easy.”
Todd walked over to the dark crystal and stabs it with Blue. It goes though easily, which is surprising, but he doesn’t pull the sword back out. His back is away from me, but I have a feeling something is wrong. He begins to radiate the dark smoke I saw before. I run up to him to see if he’s okay, but he just pushes me aside. I fall backwards. From what I had seen his skin was turning gray, and he was losing any color as if he was some sort of zombie. I’m scared.
“Tara,” he says. His voice is distorted and sounds sinister to say the least. “Tara…Now we finish this.” Without time for me to process exactly what was going on, this corrupted version of Todd dislodged Blue from the crystal and slashed it at me in one quick move. I let out a small screech as I scooted backwards and quickly got back on my feet. What was going on? He was fighting me, but I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to hurt my partner.
“Red, what happened to Todd?!” I say frantically as I continue trying to dodge Todd and Blue.
“When he hit the crystal, some of the darkness transferred into him and Blue. He’s been taken over by it. The only way you can stop him is to destroy the crystal once and for all,” the shield explains. Still, I’m not touching that crystal. Not in the slightest. I don’t want to be possessed. What would happen then, if both of the heroes ended up turning to the dark side? I don’t even want to think about that. I’m already freaked out enough. Then I form a plan.
I continue to dodge Todd’s slashes. He doesn’t seem to let up, but I’m getting a little worn out. Then, once I see an opening I create another wind, a very strong one to blow Todd back a good bit. It works, and my partner almost loses his footing. When he recovers he looks livid. I wait in front of the crystal. Perfect.
Todd begins to run up to me, Blue held like a lance as he charged. I’m able to jump out of the way in time for him to stab the crystal, and the force of the blow causes it to break into multiple pieces, revealing a dark floating orb that seemed to be its core. There was only one thing left to do.
I begin filling the core with pure magical energy. The orb makes garbled screeches as it begins to shrink and distort. Whatever was inside Todd seemed to be making its way out as the orb deteriorates. It’s tiring, oh so tiring, but I will myself to keep persisting. I had to finish the job. I had to end this right here, right now.
Then the core breaks in a flash of light.
I am shoved backward and black out.
I’m in my bed with a headache. I feel fine otherwise. Was everything that happened all just a dream? No, it couldn’t of been. I don’t just dream up a whole week in such vivid detail! I look at my wrist. For some reason Red wasn’t there. That didn’t help my frantic mind.
I rub my eyes gingerly. As freaky as it was I was the hero. I did something extremely important. When I remove my hands from my eyes I jump back, my head bumping into the headboard behind me. There’s Todd standing in front of me. He’s grasping both Red and Blue in his hands.
“Oh, sorry Tara,” Todd says. It’s good to see him back to normal. “Sorry, sorry about everything that happened up there.”
“Why’re you apologizing?” I say groggily. “It wasn’t your fault…Now what happened?”
“You saved the Realm of Soul! You were amazing, Mistress Tara!” says Red.
“But what happened? I know what I did.”
“You collapsed. Purifying the core singlehandedly was quite a feat,” explains Blue. “Once the crystal broke, the Realm was purged of all the darkness, and, of course, Todd was, too.”
“When I realized what I had done, I felt horrible, even though it wasn’t quite my fault. I would’ve stuck around and explored for a bit, but I felt I was in debt to you. I was able to open a portal back to here with the help of Red and Blue. It led to your house, actually. Luckily enough your family was still asleep. It’s pretty darn late out, y’know? You’ve been out for a couple of hours.”
I take a moment to let all that sink in. I realize something.
“And just how long have you been watching me sleep?”
“Since we brought you home. I mean, we didn’t stare at you the whole time or anything,” Todd answers. He doesn’t make eye contact.
“Then what did you do this whole time?”
I begin to notice small things out of place in my room. My laptop and various notebooks were open, my dresser drawers were ajar, my phone was out of its charger. I glare at Todd. His face turns bright red.
“You IDIOT!” I screech at him. “Who said you could just go digging in my stuff?”
“There was nothing else to do!”
We begin to argue, not caring if my parents were woken up. Eventually Blue breaks it up.
“You know, Soul Guardians…You could go back to the Realm. You deserve to be welcomed as heroes, and everyone is dying to meet you! We’re sure you’ll love the Realm when it’s healthy and pure.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Todd says.
“Yeah, let’s go. Just tell this fool to keep his distance, and everything will be just fine,” I add, not really wanting him to be too far.
I’m sure this is the start of something great.
| |
|
