What does it mean to be a Guardian? Many a planet, at some point in their ancient existence, produces an avatar that will serve the planet as a protector, as Guardian. These individuals are gifted in different means to serve as the planet?s moving representation. A planet itself is a powerful entity in the universe but it has little ways to focus that power and use it in offensive and defensive ways against the other forces of the universe. A Guardian is gifted as an ecopath of sorts- serving as the embodiment of the planet.

Jewell was born to be the Guardian of Aquarius. She had been mentored under the former Guardian and then had served in that same capacity from the age of twelve to sixteen when she left such duties unattended to in her relocation to RhyDin. The call to resume her duties was ever present, ever ignored. She had not asked for that responsibility, the heartache, and atrocities that went along with it.

She had become a single Aquarian refugee, running from her own life. Her Guardianship was just a causality.

Now they were in RhyDin too. She had been aware of being followed months ago; it had stopped and now they were back. They were the other four guardians of the planets in the Halaxi system and she could only fathom what they wanted. Her death? Her return to her duties?

That they were her fellow guardians there was no mistake. Those first months were spent nervous, paranoid, looking over her shoulder and trying to puzzle out just who was out to get her. Now she had caught a glimpse of Ethaen. It had been near ten years since she had seen him last but she?d recognized that long dark face and obsidian eyes anywhere even if the hair was now peppered. He had been careless, or perhaps taunting her.

Jewell left the house the next morning, dressed in white to mirror the flowers and buds of the newborn spring. She wet her feet in the dew, her sandals held in her hand for when she left the woods and entered town. Until she reached the dirty streets of the city she would let the soft grass and growing foliage serve as a rug on the forest floor.

She did not fear to walk alone in the shaded woods; she jumped and sprang from spot to spot where the sun broke through the leaves. The shadows brought unseemly things to mind-a leering face and rough hands on her soft skin-and were to be avoided. It made her sick but she no longer felt fear, not even when she felt eyes on her again. The crack of a twig and the crunching of leaves followed the eyes. They could not walk as lightly in the woods as she, a child of nature. They did not have the sensitive ears that she had.

Jewell could lose those eyes in the woods if she wanted. She would dance into the shadows of the trees or hide in a flower bud; she would become a shimmer of silver and blue before she was gone from sight. She resisted the urge to play with them that way; she would not taunt them so.

She paused when she came within the circle of a clearing, the sun short of its noon position in the sky. It was a lovely spot that she often stopped in, but they must know that by now. They knew everything of her habits. The realization made her feel naked, exposed. She stepped into the middle of the clearing, setting her shoes down on the ground. Rather then dancing in the rays of the morning sun, she stood waiting. Like all conflicts in life, this to would come to a head. She would force it to that zenith now.

?I will not be toyed with anymore, Ethaen. Come out and face me like a true Guardian, not that I ever thought you much of one.? With that taunt, accompanied with a sneer, she dropped her eyes to the ground. It did not take long for her four watchers to join her, completing a square with her at the center.

She looked up when they would come no closer and met the eyes of each in turn.

Before her and to the left was Bali Delinglin, who she knew only by name, of Espalur. She was short, shorter then five foot, with silver hair that fell to her knees in neat cornrows. In her hand was a cylinder, familiar in shape to that of what Jedi Knights carry, which Jewell knew to extend into an electric whip. Bali was not to be trifled with, although the youngest of those surrounding her, for she could manipulate electricity to a certain extent in addition to the mana they could all control.

To the left, at only a few inches taller then herself at 5?6?, was Orind Baun from Giffao. Shorter then most men and squat, the completely bald Orind held his short sword before him. He was dressed in brown robes that, although Jewell had never noticed it before, made him look like a parody of a monk. He inclined his head upon receiving Jewell?s gaze. Although she was sure none respected her as Guardian, at least he respected her royal blood, for all the good that would do.

She turned slightly, not exposing her back to the first to Guardians in order to view the remaining couple. There was the Guardian of Ethul, Shengl Wetha, on her left. Slightly taller then Orind, Shengl was remarkably pretty at thirty-eight, despite the abuse those in Guardianship withstood, with brilliant emerald eyes and spiky dark hair. Her sleeveless black shirt betrayed muscular arms that could power a punch strong enough to break Jewell?s jaw. She had seen Shengl do it before. The bronze skin of the Guardian?s hands was covered in the black leather of a pair of simple gauntlets.

Last was Ethaen Uliaunt, completing the square surrounding her. He was the Guardian of Pyra, on whom all her hatred of that planet was reflected upon. The eldest guardian towered far above her at 6?5?, a man of dark skin and complete lean muscle. His long black hair, streaked with silver, was held back in a ponytail. This, and not the polished wooden pole arm in his hand, made her nervous. Coupled with his garb, a tight black shirt, loose pants and laced boots, did not give confidence to her hopes that they were going to have a friendly chat.

She did not wait for an answer. She swung the trident before her, taking a double-handed grip on it. She gestured with it from the ground upward, collecting the dew around Ethaen?s feet and slowing the molecules down to freeze him in place. It was rather nice to wield magic without singeing her little fingers- the trident was an excellent focus. She relished in his exclamation of surprise. She took two quick steps towards him, slamming the butt of the pole arm into the ground and using it to leverage herself into the air to deliver a double-footed kick to the man?s chest. She was aided in this momentary defiance of gravity as silver wings appeared and disappeared in the briefest moment, in a shower of silver dust, behind her.

Ethaen, his feet breaking free of the ice, landed hard on his back with Jewell standing on top of him. The blow did not take his senses from him long enough. He pointed a finger up at Jewell, drawing energy and firing off a thin shot at her face to distract her. It worked well enough in that she started to lose her footing on his chest and stumbled backwards to his stomach, one foot coming to steady herself on the ground, as her face was cut and blood started to run down her chin. He took the opportunity to raise his upper back and release his hold on his staff to deliver a double fisted punch to Jewell?s sternum. Long arms and torso gave him a nice advantage over the petite Fae.

Jewell fell backwards from the blow to her sternum, which was certain to produce one painful bruise. To add injury to injury, Ethaen sat up further, opened his palm towards Jewell and released a wider, stronger burst of energy at her. It caught her upper chest as she fell and forced her skidding back a few feet along the ground, leaving her breathless for a moment.

Ethaen took this chance to grab up his staff and rise to his feet again. Rather then attack Jewell while she was down, he took the time to reach out to the ley lines. Although this was not his own planet, he could still manipulate the energy around them with ease. Flames of red energy danced over his staff. The other guardians recognized the preparation for Ethaen?s favored attack. With his staff as a focal point for the energy he was drawing in, every time he would hit his opponent there would be the added force and burn of pure energy.

Jewell had seen it before. Her breathing still labored, she somersaulted backwards out of her precarious position. The moment the balls of her feet touched the ground she sprung upward and forward like a feline leaving her trident behind. The distance between the two was too great for a normal bound to bring her closer then a rough landing at his feet. A burst of silver dust trailing behind her summoned her wings on her back, carrying her further and faster then her other muscles could. Energy erupted over her body in silver and blue, burning her skin as she channeled more energy quicker then was safe. It was for a good cause as she slammed her body perpendicularly into Ethaen with her shoulder as the lead, and then kept pushing. With beating wings and the added force of energy that she pushed at him with, Ethaen was forced back and back until he was against a tree.

She refused to let him stop to think, to get his bearings and start his attack on her with his staff. Wings steadied her as she let her feet touch the ground once more and before becoming a flurry of motion in her assault on Ethaen: uppercuts, jabs, chops, snapkicks, a knee to the groin. Her entire assault aided by mana that was now concentrated around her hands, helping to make his body a bruised mess and to do damage to that face of his.

An attempt at a roundhouse punch to his head was what brought her down. Quickly, his hand was around her throat and cutting off her air supply. The sudden shock of not being able to breathe ruined her concentration causing blue and silver to dissipate around her hands. One hand continued its assault on him, or attempt to as he laughed and lifted her feet off the ground and extended his arm so she was no longer within reach of his torso. Her other hand frantically scratched at his wrist as she cursed herself- What good were thigh holsters? She couldn?t even reach them!

?That,? squeeze, ?wasn?t very nice.? She would have gasped as he further restricted her windpipe if she could. Jewell could stay under the water for long periods of time with the proper concentration and frame of mind. In the midst of a fight, cut off from vital oxygen, she saw black spots form before her eyes.

Both hands now went to clutch at Ethaen?s wrist. She was trying some last-ditch effort magic here; reaching out for the water molecules in the air and trying to have them coalesce around his arm and freeze once more. He wasn?t wholly unfamiliar with such a trick and had little desire to have it used on him twice in one day. He spun about and slammed her against the very tree he had just been caught against. Once, twice, three times. Once her arms went slack at her side, he let her drop to the ground.

A tangle of limbs and wings, she didn?t even wait for her vision to fully clear. Ethaen stood above her, staff back ready to strike. With her mind buzzing and the taste of her own blood on her lips, silver wings spread out and carried her upwards. She didn?t make it far enough as she was sent slamming into the ground, her weight causing her left arm to break. She could barely register, as the world spun and silver dust fell about her as her wings disappeared, the fact that he had grabbed her ankle, twisting it as he threw her to the ground.

Amanda Ravenlock was a very unhappy eleven-year-old come eight o?clock at night. Her mother had not returned home all day and she was supposed to go take her and Moradin out dancing in one of her favorite glades with the fireflies. Now Leena was pushing her up the stairs, telling her to wash up and do something quiet until she fell asleep, ?You and your mah can just go another night, Miss Amanda. Dontcha worry, she just lost track of time is all.? Little consolation for her disappointment.
She cleaned up all right but she did not dress for bed. Rather, she put on her outfit specially picked out for dancing in the woods at night. Gossamer layers of silver and blue went over a little slip. Her hair was pinned up best she could without the help of a maid, falling down over her neck with silver sparkles in it. Her slippers were blue with silver ribbon wrapping around her legs to her knees. She felt like the prettiest creature, fit to wander the glades of Faerie.

When all was quiet upstairs, the little kids asleep, she tiptoed over to her little brother?s room. Moradin and Amanda were like peas and carrots. They were life bonded to each other ever since Moradin had come close to dying after his difficult birth. Their mother still didn?t fully understand the extent of it, but their life force was shared and she was afraid that the death of one meant that of the other as well. Until then, the two were the best of friends.

Amanda crept into the little boy?s room and was not disappointed. He sat waiting for her on the edge of his bed. Moradin was nowhere near as dressed as Amanda was, just a simple tunic and dark pants. However, he was going barefoot, he insisted that he didn?t think that real Faeries would dance in the wood in shoes.

The two need not exchange words as they set out, easily escaping the confines of the house through Moradin?s window.

Amanda crept near to the unmoving form of her mother. The white dress that had looked so becoming on her that morning was soiled with dirt, sweat, and blood. Her hands were tied behind her back still, the one arm looking unnaturally swollen and odd even to the untrained eyes of the eleven year old. Jewell?s face was a mess, bruised, and distorted in pain.

The child gave a little gasp, eyes wide and quickly filling with tears upon seeing the state her mother was in. She stepped away from her quickly and took up pacing slowly around her until help came, as she was too afraid to touch her to help.
--
Moradin did not find his way home. Turned around in the woods, he ended up before the gravitation center of RhyDin city- the Red Dragon Inn. Bewildered and dismayed that he was now even further from home, the small boy stood staring at the sign for the Inn. He didn?t enter, scared as he was of crowded rooms and lots of people, but Fortune shined upon the quiet Ravenlock child.

?Hey there, lil Ravenlock, whatever be you doin? out here in the streets late at night?? He started at the loud booming voice but quickly calmed under its familiarity and the smiling face of its owner- the husband of one of the maids who worked at the house during the day. He worked in town but often stopped by the house during the day to say hello to his wife and he was always friendly with the children.

He stooped down low to be on eyelevel with the child, noting the tears of distress forming in his eyes. ?Come now, lad, what be the problem? I?ll walk you home, iffin you need me to. Is your mother inside there?? He nodded towards the Inn; he had bumped in Mrs. Ravenlock on her way to the Inn several times in the past. He preferred to drink his ale at home.

?Mamma,? he shuddered out a breath. Moradin hated speaking and was more then content to listen to others talk, like his older sister, without getting a word in edgewise. ?Mamma?s hurt,? short and concise, he never wasted words.

?Hurt, did?ya say? And you be lookin? for help all by your lonesome?? At the confirming nod he lifted the little boy without object up into one of his arms, even at six Moradin was small.

They set out together back into the woods, Moradin directing the way with ease. It was impossible for him to get lost finding the clearing again, he could feel his sisters? presence as clearly as if he were two feet away from her.

Amanda refused to leave the hallway, sitting on one of her mother?s decorative leather chairs and watching the door to the sick room anxiously. Mr. Owane had left a little while ago, needing to get back to his wife and tell her the news; he promised to return with her the next morning to check up on the family.

Leena stepped out of the sickroom, closing the door softly behind her and shaking her head. She looked up, catching Amanda?s steady grey eyes on her and quickly replaced her grim expression with a smile for her young charge. ?Amanda Ravenlock, shouldn?t you be in bed? Its nearing sunrise already!? She tried to muster up a stern expression, but it just wouldn?t do. The young girl looked too distressed, her eyes swollen and red from crying. ?Come now, sweets, its not good having you sit here watching that door like a hawk. It won?t be making your mah any better any quick and you know that. Why dontcha let me take you up to bed, I know Moradin is probably wanting you in his room tonight.?

Amanda ignored the admonition, even the guilt of not being there to comfort her brother was brushed away, ?How?s mamma doing?? Her tone was flat, lips turned into a dour frown.

?Much better then you original thought, I assure you m?sweet,? Leena placed her arm around Amanda?s shoulder and guided her out of the seat and towards the stairs as she wove her soothing lies. ?I know she looked rather bad off, but it ain?t so bad as she?s been before, not nearly so bad I assure you.?

In fact, Leena didn?t believe she had ever seen Jewell look as bad as she did when she was brought in tonight. The mid-wife wouldn?t stir from her side, insisting that there was more then just physical wounds ailing the patient this time. The broken arm and twisted ankle were quickly and easily tended too, as was the cut-like burn on her face. The bruises on her arms weren?t of major concern, the hand-shaped one on her throat and battered sternum-so newly healed-getting more serious attention. They tended carefully to her back, the skin along her spine was bruised and torn up from her skidding across the ground and would be more than sore for a while. The familiar burns on her arms from energy manipulation were milder than usual and got an ample supply of the typical burn salve applied to them.

They ?tsk?d? over the bruises on her head, she was certainly going to be out for a few days. The women of the house whispered and spoke softly with the mid-wife about what was to be done regarding what Amanda had said about Jewell, ?feeling different.? In the end, they left her to the hands of a nurse as they went to bed in the wee hours of the morning. Nothing was do be decided upon until they speak with Jewell.

She went to the Inn; pushed and shoved out the door by her eldest daughter with the command to try and be normal. That broken look in her grey eyes was getting to everyone in the house after a single day and they urged her to try and find some sort of normalcy, even if it was temporary.

She had tried her best and allowed herself to get lost in conversation with Skyler and it worked for a time. He even made her smile. She felt guilty telling him she was going to leave, running away from her problems as she was. He told her he would miss her.

She walked him home, ready to fight off any hussy that tried to take advantage of his inebriated state with her one good arm. She felt at ease around him; she let herself feel at ease. He could take one look at her and read what was going on inside that curl-topped head. There was comfort in being that transparent to someone, someone she trusted to read her and not use that knowledge to turn around and take cruel advantage of her. It had been done before. Maybe her trust was misplaced this time as well; at the moment that was unimportant.

She was okay until she stepped inside the house once more. Everything settled down onto her shoulders and she physically wilted under the pressure. With other people around, that ache inside her wasn?t so bad. She could try and fill it with the love her friends and family had for her. Alone, it was overwhelming. She had relied on that soul-bond all her life, seeking comfort in the warmth of her planet-even when it was so very far away-and the strength that its presence gave her. It was that strength that she drew on when her own gave out; it was that strength that was at the steely core of Jewell. She was collapsing inwards without it, out of control.

She trudged up the stairs and towards her room, tears rolling unchecked down her cheeks to mix with the green makeup there: painted green teardrops for Am?thyst Oak. Her bed offered her all the comfort that piles of blankets and pillows could; she curled up, not bothering to change her outfit. That didn?t matter either. She settled on a position that was particularly painful to her back, luxuriating in the pain. She deserved it. She had failed in her guardianship; they had judged her and carried out their sentence. She didn?t deserve that special bond, so very precious; she had not fulfilled her side of the arrangement.

A planet was strong yet unable to fend for itself. A guardian was a weaker vessel given the ability to protect and serve his or her specific planet. In return, the planet raised that person up giving them the power and strength they needed to fulfill whatever their appointed task was. Jewell had taken that power and strength, coveted it all her life. She had earned it once upon a time when she poured her heart and soul to serving as Guardian, fighting opponents as they sought the ruin of her planet. She had forgotten such duties to run away to RhyDin but she had not relinquished that soul-bond; no, she had kept that near and dear to her heart.

This ruin was her own doing which made it that much bitter to swallow.

?You were important once.? She stared at herself moodily in the mirror, the room lit with a yellow tinge from the low gas lights.

?You meant something. You were needed. You were importance once.? The echo of her footfalls, sounding on the marble flooring of the castle, rang in her ears coupled with the voices greeting her, ?Good evening, My Lady Guardian.?

?Now,? her voice thickened, ?Now what are you? Nothing.?

?Nothing.?

?Nothing?

?NOTHING!? She slammed her fist down onto the vanity?s top, silver and blue briefly haloing her hand and aiding her in denting the mahogany. She recoiled from the magical backlash and stared defiantly at her hand- slightly singed as it was because she tried to use her abilities before she had fully healed.

?Even you will betray me?? She asked, eyes staring at her fingers. With a cry she tore at the skin of her face to try and tear out the pain and emptiness that was ruining her. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks as she tore apart newly healed skin there. The salty drops mixed with the traces of blood, leaving faint red streaks down her face. The Earth?s Christ had cried tears of blood once upon a time.

The blood and skin caked under her nails went unheeded as the woman who controlled water in all forms could not check her traitorous tears.

She returned to her room but not to the hermit state she had spent the last two weeks in. No more crying huddled in a ball in the corner of the room like a scared child. Yes, she was still scared; terrified, in fact, of the empty hole that was threatening to consume her inside out.

It had been easier to pretend to be Jewell when she was home and amongst her friends: with Tara or Skyler at her side. Her body knew the automatic reactions that were ingrained in her: smile with a tilt of her head, laugh charmingly, drop a witty comment here and so on. It had been a faulty act, doomed to fail. She was only so good of an actress.

She had to relearn, learn how to act like herself. There was a crack in her veneer; the finely shaped mask that hid her from the world was broken. She was still at a loss as to how to fix the hole inside her, that vital piece of her soul that was missing, but she was a veteran at covering it up; build a new fa?ade, make it stronger and no one would ever know but those that heard her cry in her state of dream at night.

She taped her chest down, slinging her still injured arm tight against her body and pulled on a pair of cotton shorts that she had purchased after seeing Amthy wear them after her volleyball practice once. Her feet were bare as she left the house, still avoiding the other inhabitants as she moved towards the beach. Then she started to run.

She ran on the beach for hours each day, alternating with swimming until her arms gave out and she would just float in the water. Bone weariness gave her no chance to think, to dwell on unwanted thoughts. She could let her memories and problems lie as she formed her body into that perfect fa?ade once more.

The brief communication of Alex?s pain nagged on her mind but she continually pushed it aside and ignored it like so much else. She was re-forging herself without weaknesses and she could not think of Alex because he would always be one of her main weaknesses. In fact, she couldn?t think of any man because she was always weak for them.

No more. She would be strong for her daughters, for herself. She would be that starling example of grace, beauty and strength. The physical training she put herself through covered the last. She ran or swam herself weary every day only to continue the regime with mock fights against dummies in a room she had outfitted for a ridicules price. Then it was a run or swim again until she could practice her magic abilities once more. Eating had finally become mandatory if she wanted to avoid exhaustion and she did it with a relish, not because she enjoyed it but because it was a means to her desired end.

Beauty was not hard to come by. With her fey looks softened by that sliver of human blood she had a more unusual look, charming and angelic all together. Couple that with the art of glamour- the first of any magic she insisted on training herself in-and she could cover those slight imperfections that life had earned her and look the part of the goddess she always claimed to be.

Grace required more practice that she could not receive on her own. She ordered the children to begin their lessons again, the holiday was officially over. In the basics of etiquette and decorum she instructed them with the aid of their governess, digging up old lessons in her brain that had been hardwired there during her childhood. She remembered how to laugh delicately at a boring story, how to hold her head with dignity and pride but without that snobbish upturn of the nose that was so despised, she walked as if on eggshells but made it look as though she were floating. They were classes on how to be fake and loved by everyone- to survive in a social death match.

It wasn?t good enough, though. She didn?t only want that faux friendliness that would ultimately alienate everyone she loved. Jewell wanted that genuine goodness and affability that carved her out a place in people?s hearts. She wanted conversation with real interest and friendship without affectation. What better place to find such openness and truth then in a child?

The next evening found Jewell and Amanda comfortably reclined on the hammock once more, counting the stars as they appeared. ?They call you the Empress, why??

?Tara asked me what I wanted to be called and that?s what I chose.?

?Is that what you want to be- an Empress??

?I suppose it wouldn?t be so bad,? she said with a musing smile.

?But you were a princess once, right? Remember??

She laughed bitterly, ?Of course I remember. It was over-rated but it was worth my dowry, at least.?

?So why Empress, then?? Amanda pressed. If her mother didn?t want to be a princess-and wasn?t that every girl?s dream?-then why an Empress?

?Oh, I don?t know,? Jewell sighed. ?It was just the first thing that came to mind at the time.?

?But now??

?Mother of nature, you?re pushy!?

?And now?? She persisted, staring eagerly at her.

?Now? Now it?s a social standing, not political. I?m like the social Empress, or something like that; ruling conversations and hearts with a gilded tongue and batting of my lashes, perhaps a sweet smile,? an amused smile touched her lips at how absurd it all sounded.

?Is that really what you?re like??

?You?ve seen me in the Inn, darling, even at home- what do you think? Am I charming?? Proceed with said batting of the lashes and an overly sweet smile.

?I guess so?but you?re just mom to me. But people like you, don?t they? They like to see you laugh and smile because you?re pretty and funny sometimes,? Amanda loved when her mother laughed at home because she would laugh longer and harder then any of them. ?Do they know how silly you are at home??

?Sometimes, especially after my antics with Tara and Amthy,? a touch of wistfulness in her smile.

?Tell me about them.?

?They?re not that interesting,? but there was that sudden half-smile that made it clear that Jewell was lying.

?Come on??

?Oh- well fine. Did you know that, well no?you wouldn?t find that funny,? as the many times the girls team-flirted filtered through her mind. ?How about the fact that supposedly, at our deceased clubhouse, we used to turn men into dolls or that I once melted a dolphin into purple goo and Tara opened a Bug Caf? and we throw lots of tea parties,? Jewell?s smile widened as she spoke.

Amanda?s smile at being let in on the secret melted into confusion, ?That sounds dumb, you?re like little girls.?

Jewell stopped short of saying one thing to exchange it for another, ?Well, we are.?

?You aren?t a little girl anymore.?

?Yes, I am dear,? she countered solemnly.

?How so??

?For a faerie, I am a very little girl.?

?Like me??

?Just like you.?

?That?s why we?re friends, then.?