Guardians: The Trials

“Open the doors!” the man shouted as he ran towards the guards. The gigantic doors swung open at once. Inside, a group of people sat at a round table. They looked on with great suspicion.

“What is it, Gerald? You look terrified,” an old man inquired as he stood up from the head of the table. He wore huge armour of mixed colours, orange and yellow, which symbolized his element, thunder. He held his white beard as he stared at the man with curiosity. Guardian Osman was an Elder Guardian. He was the champion of his planet Thyros. Now retired from his original position, he serves as the leader of the Council. Gerald was his assistant, and he had just interrupted the Council’s meeting.

“I have news! Terrible news, sir! She’s back! Zetara is back!” he was huffing and puffing all the way to the Guardian. “The Galactic Force found traces of her magic at the Dark Fortress. She’s back! She has returned to kill us all!” Gerald continued talking as he panted hard.

“I beg your pardon?” Queen Nora, seated at the table, asked in a polite yet concerned tone.

“Zetara! That blasted witch!” silence followed his words. King Xandred directed Gerald to a nearby seat. The poor man was having a panic attack.

For a few seconds, the room rang with silence. They had been expecting such news for a long time now, but still, it surprises them. Guardian Osman took a deep breath before he spoke. “That is terrible news indeed. I was not expecting her back so soon.” Looking troubled, King Aron stepped up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Osman, I believe we should inform the other kingdoms. They need to be on guard,” King Aron said. “We must alert the Guardians, too. She would go for them first.”

King Aron was the king of Aqueria. His two sons used to be Guardians. But when tragedy struck, it left one dead, and the other quit his position.

“Yes, we must. But that won’t be enough. We need a proper plan to go head to head with Zetara. She is not an opponent to be taken lightly. I want representatives from all kingdoms to come together and advise a proper strategy,” Osman said. “The Guardians alone won’t be enough.”

“But you forget that those teenagers you refer to as Guardians haven’t been functional for a while. Not to mention how dysfunctional they are. We can’t trust them with such a task. They barely made it out alive the last time!” Queen Nora expressed her disagreement.

“Nora, I think you’re mistaken. Even if they haven’t had a good challenge in a while, it doesn’t mean that they are any less capable than they used to be to face Zetara. They have proven themselves worthy every step of the way. Fought the mightiest foes and come out even stronger in the end. To doubt their capabilities and experience would be stupidity and an insult to the protectors of our dimension,” Lady Sabel, sitting opposite to Queen Nora, spoke.

“I agree with Lady Sabel. We shouldn’t be so sceptical of them. Those kids know how to take a punch and deliver one, the hard way!” Guardian Windsor said.

“Wait. Nora is correct. They haven’t been functional for a while and we can’t take any risks, so I believe it’s better that we re-conduct the Trials,” Guardian Osman said. “If anyone has a little rust on them, then they can get rid of it during the Trials and we’ll be able to better judge their capabilities this way. It would help while devising a proper strategy.”

The other members of the Council were a little taken aback at this as they exchanged glances with each other. “We need the right people for the task,” Guardian Osman said, sitting back down and penning his order.

Zetara had always been a pain for them that would resurface every 5-10 years. Most of the leaders of the world had gotten used to it, but the ones who didn’t were the Guardians.

“With all due respect, don’t you think this isn’t the time for such a thing? The Trials are a tradition, I know, but they also take up a lot of time. Do we have that?” King Troy inquired.

“Troy, it’s been almost four years since those kids had a real challenge to face. I want to make sure they haven’t lost their touch. They got lucky the last time, but it won’t be like that always. Zetara went easy on them, but this time she’ll be out for blood!” Guardian Osman said. “Here, I have written it down. Gerald! I have a job for you. Take this letter and make sure all the concerned kingdoms get a copy. I want the Trials started as soon as possible.” The man took the letter and gave a slight bow before rushing on his way out.

“What have you written Osman?” King Aron asked.

“I have instructed all the kingdoms of the Magistrate Dimension to conduct the Trials. The first and the second round of The Trials, as per tradition, will be held on their planets. After they select their Champions, then we shall conduct the third round here on Equilium,” he replied.

“But what about their leader? Do you think Harmony would send anyone from their planet to take place of their previous champion? I don’t think so. Perhaps if we revoke our previous decision .....” Lady Sabel was stopped before she could utter another word.

“Sabel! Did you forget that I’m the Queen of Harmony? Any such decision must be run by me first. I agree with the Council’s decision to re-conduct the Trials. As for that past decision, it was completely justified and there is no need to revoke anything. I will make sure that Harmony puts its best foot forward to lead this new team of Guardians,” Queen Nora said. She talked with such speed and enthusiasm as if she was desperate to make sure that this part of the conversation does not make any progress.

“Well then, it’s settled. But I should warn you, Nora, that your planet has three sub-kingdoms. Two of them may object to your decisions. As for the leader, if Harmony doesn’t send in anyone for the last round then I will select whoever I see worthy.” Guardian Osman seemed sure that Harmony’s people will remain loyal to their last Guardian and would accept no one else in her place. But deep down, he knew neither would the rest of the team, which would be an even bigger issue.

After all, it was his fault. He began thinking about each and every event that led him to commit the same injustice many times. The decisions he had to make, the choices that were never given to him and the people who had suffered because of him.

Four years ago, the Life Crystal of the Guardian’s leader was mysteriously poisoned, which resulted in the corruption of her mind and magic. She wreaked havoc with her unstable and destructive powers. Luckily, no lives were lost. The other Guardians faced off against her, and they were successful in not only limiting the damage she could’ve caused but also in curing her. But the people could not forgive her actions, even though she was not responsible for them. The Council thus had to banish her from the Magistrate Dimension.

He regretted his decision, the Council’s decision. But he didn’t have a choice then. As the one responsible for the peace of the dimension, he had to take a step to make his people feel content with the fact that they were safe.

But now he was thinking of re-instating her, but he still needed a few more things to favour the situation because there were still some obstacles that needed to be dealt with. If Harmony doesn’t send anyone, then it would be the perfect time for him to correct an old mistake.

Muzil was the most powerful Guardian, and her capabilities were unmatched, even four years after her banishment. Osman knew the people of Harmony well enough to know that they still had faith in her. So he decided to work in secrecy to establish some sort of connection with the former leader and work through the obstacles for her return.

***

“Nora! Have you lost your mind?! What makes you think I would allow this?” Queen Melena of Tunes shouted at the top of her lungs.

Queen Nora, after returning from her meeting with the Council, had invited the rest of the royal families of Harmony to inform them of the recent developments. It looked like no one took it lightly. King Arthur and King Melena of Tunes, along with King David and Queen Iris of Rhythm, were present.

The Royal families in the Magistrate Dimension differed greatly from their earth counterparts. While on earth the royalties sat on huge thrones, wore crowns, with heavy robes and ball gowns. Such was not the case here. The throne culture went extinct at least a century ago, and the clothing protocol mostly just consisted of their official Guardian armour, i.e. if that person was a Guardian. They mostly dressed like average civilians and remained much closer to their people than the ones on earth did.

Queen Melena wore a simple red dress matching her wavy reddish hair, while her husband, King Arthur, wore a red shirt and a pair of black pants with a black jacket. Queen Iris was also dressed in a simple pink dress and her blonde hair tied in a bun.

Queen Nora, on the other hand, took being a Queen too seriously and often looked the part. She wore a long pink dress fit for a Queen. King David looked complete with his Guardian attire and his sword on his belt. Maybe he was expecting a fight, but to his disappointment, it progressed no further than verbal insults.

“My authority as the Queen makes me think that, Melena. The decision has been made. The Trials will begin starting next week and I don’t want to hear a single thing against it.”

“Believe me.... you’ll hear more than just a single thing!”

“Do you wish to deprive the average children of their right to compete in the Trials just because your daughter can’t?” The Trials were not just limited to the kids of royal families but they were an open invitation for everyone. When Muzil was selected, it was done in secrecy because no trials were conducted on Tunes.

“Don’t you dare change the subject! Putting someone else in Muzil’s position would only prove to be life-threatening for the one concerned. The Crystals of Life chose her! It’s her right to be here Nora and you can’t take that away from her!”

“The Crystals of Life? Those lifeless things are purely based on power, not wisdom! Leadership requires wisdom which your daughter has none of!” Nora now stood right in the face of Melena as she yelled at her. “The Crystals have been known to be wrong before, so it won’t be the first time. And right are you referring to? Do you think anyone would accept her as leader after all she did last time? The damage she caused? Not to mention how she disrespected me!”

“Believe me that I’m most proud of!” King David whispered to King Arthur. He signalled him to keep his voice down but was unable to hold back a smile.

“You just want your family to regain control of the strongest group of warriors in this dimension so you could come after my crown!” Nora continued.

“How dare you?! I’ve never been a power monger like you! I only took hold of the responsibility that was trusted to me and but have never desired anything more than that. But you! You’ve always been after me and my brother to have us removed so you could be the sole ruler of this planet! Mark my words Nora, as long as I’m alive you will never have things your way!”

“Enough! I will not have you insult me in my own castle!”

“Ladies, stop it!” King David shouted as he stepped between them. He and the others had been listening quietly, but he couldn’t tolerate it anymore. They were just….. too loud. “Nora, you have full liberty to do what you like. So go on ahead and do so, we won’t intervene in any way.”

“David! How can....” Melena tried to protest.

“Sis, I think it is best if we remain quiet in this. She has the right to decide. Let her. But we will not be responsible for the outcome,” King David continued, now facing Queen Nora. “You are right about giving other people a chance, but think for a moment. Would anyone else stand a chance against Zetara? Muzil has beaten her in the past and can surely do it again. If you remain insistent that she be replaced, then you alone will be held responsible if your replacement cannot deliver. We will not allow our kids to enter the Trials. We certainly know your son won’t be competing either, so who is left to compete then?”

For a moment, Queen Nora found herself at a loss for words. David was right. If none of the royal kids competes, then who will? The contestants from the average crowd haven’t always been successful in the Trials. It was a chance she had to take to protect her reputation and also keep Muzil out. Everyone began leaving after King David had finished. Nora turned away to avoid eye contact with anyone. She didn’t know how to respond to David, so she remained silent. No one agreed with her, but they had no choice. They knew they couldn’t do anything.

David approached Arthur as they left the Castle of Symphony. He wanted to get his opinion, knowing that he had once led the Guardians of his time, but his silence in the current matter bothered David.

“Well, you’ve been awfully quiet today. What’s the problem? Does Nora scare you?” David said.

“Is that what you think?” Arthur stared back, surprised. “I was just thinking who I should side with.”

“Arth, if Melena hears you… then may God help us.”

“Don’t worry, she’s too busy thinking up of all the ways she can to chop off Nora’s head.”

And surely it looked like it too. Melena angrily marched down the stairs with her fists clenching.

“But why are you partial on her stance?”

“Look, don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned to trust Guardian Osman the hard way, and he always has a good reason for whatever he does. But I don’t think it would be okay for Muzil to be here.”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay? It’s her right to lead the team.”

“Yes, but I’m not sure whether it’s right for her to get herself mixed up in this whole mess again, considering if she even wants to.”

“Did you talk to her? Or did she say something?”

“I haven’t heard from her yet. But I have a hunch that she won’t be too willing to join the Guardians again. She likes to keep a grudge. Convincing her to join the last time wasn’t easy. I think she’s had enough of it. Every time she comes back to give her best to the team, something bad happens and everyone finds a way to blame it all on her. This time it’s her self-respect at stake.”

“I suppose you’re right, but these kinds of responsibilities are for life, Arth. You can’t walk away from them no matter how right it seems to do so and how hard people like Nora prevent you from taking it up. The point is that this is about a responsibility that she not only inherited but was also chosen to do. I didn’t want to be king, but it was my responsibility to the people to take the throne. If I couldn’t walk away, what are the chances that Muzil can.”

“You’re right there, but no one said that to fulfil one’s responsibility to their people, it’s a must that they become a Guardian. Especially if you have a Council of old people constantly nagging at your every step. Kids these days need the freedom to do things their way and……”

“… and the Council makes it difficult for them. Is that all?”

“I don’t know. But what I do know is that I’m not in favour of bringing her back. She’s fine where she’s at.”

“And where exactly is that?”

“You know, if I had the liberty to tell, then everyone would already know. Let’s just keep that under wraps till the right time.”

“I swear, this secrecy game makes my head spin. But what are you going to do when no one steps up in the Trials? Osman would reinstate Muzil, and then she has to come.”

“It depends on whether she wants to. If she doesn’t want to then there is nothing we can do to convince her.”

Arthur left David and walked down the steps back to his car, where his wife waited for him impatiently. Melena was seething with anger, but she tried her best to remain calm and failed miserably at it. Arthur stayed quiet, hoping not to fuel her anger.

***

“Wait, what? When? Who told you?” Dove shouted into her phone. Her friends on the other lines rubbed their ears in annoyance. “How can they do that?! This is completely unfair!” Dove had been Muzil’s best friend since they were kids. She and the others hadn’t seen or heard from Muzil since her banishment.

Dove was from Sincler, she was the Guardian of Stars. She was polite and sensible, she didn’t like to fool around much and mostly busied herself with her readings. She was a good friend to everyone and was always there when they needed her.

“Yes, I hear you, Dove,” Fleur replied. “My dad told me himself. Queen Nora made sure no one brought up Muzil’s case. I guess they’ll let Queen Nora pick someone from the crowd since neither Parker nor Harry would be competing.”

Fleur was from Amarylis, the Nature Guardian. She had a calm demeanour but was also a tough opponent to those who dared to pick a fight against her.

News had obviously reached them. Dove, Max, Xavier, Fleur and Carter discussed over the phone the current matter that worried them. Dove had been the last one to find out. The thing that worried them the most was not having their leader with them and if the new leader, whoever it may be, would be capable of the task ahead. They didn’t even dare to think that it could be one of them. Because if no one from Harmony was selected into the team then there would be a challenge to determine one of them as the leader.

Zetara was an immortal witch. In the past, she had fought against many versions of the Guardians. Sometimes she won, other times she suffered a humiliating defeat. Muzil had been the last Guardian who faced off against her and defeated her. The witch turned to smoke as the final blow hit her. But she had a habit of always coming back and from the look of things, her latest return was around the horizon.

“That’s no surprise. Nora always seemed to gag at Muzil’s mere mentioning,” Max said. Max was from Thyros. He was the Thunder Guardian. Max was a jolly guy who never missed a chance to fool around and annoy his friends.

“But this is bigger than a personal grudge!” Carter said. “She’s a Queen, for crying out loud! How could she be so selfish?”

Carter was from Aqueria. He was the Aqua Guardian. But his magic was much more powerful than the past few Guardians from his world. Carter could not only manipulate the water, but also ice. To control all three elements was rarely ever found in an elemental. But his predecessor was known to be a tri-elemental as he had power over wind too along with water and ice.

Apart from his amazing magical capabilities, Carter was also extremely talented at handling tech, even better than Xavier.

“I don’t want to sound selfish, but I’m more concerned about that witch. You guys forget some of us weren’t here at the time when you all fought her,” Max said. “We have no idea what to expect! How strong is she? Is she scary or ugly? Are her feet backwards? Does she ride a broom?”

“Woah! Hit the brakes! Relax!” Carter said. Unable to tolerate Max’s train of stereotypical queries, he put a stop to him. “Witches here aren’t like the ones on earth. Most of them look like other normal human beings.”

“Yeah, only twice the nasty on the inside! Zetara was blended in perfectly. That’s what is most dangerous about her. She would seem to be completely harmless and show herself off as a friendly new kid at school, then BAM! When you are least expecting it, she’ll stab you in the back!” Fleur said.

“So how did you guys beat her then?” Max asked.

“Well, that’s the point. We didn’t, Muzil did,” Dove said. “Zetara’s magic was too strong to be detectable or traceable, so no one from the Council could keep tabs on her especially when she pretended to turn over a new leaf and became a good guy. She kept her real plans running in the background while also aiding the Council in important matters to avoid suspicion.”

“I’ve heard that. She was a great help against the black threats, like Lord Keradon,” Max said.

“She didn’t have much of a choice than to help the Guardians of that time. Keradon was a competition to her and she couldn’t stand it!” Dove said.

“Yeah, but after they banished him to Oblivion, she began working with special task forces in the Council to completely eradicate black magic,” Fleur said.

“I guess she always was looking out for just herself and not the dimension. What I don’t understand is how such a dangerous criminal could become a part of the Council?!” Carter said.

“She had everyone fooled, after her loss against Keradon. The Council needed her because she was the only one who knew Keradon’s weaknesses, but she lacked the power and muscle to destroy him. The Council pushed forward the Guardians as that muscle for her,” Fleur said.

“Both sides were using each other to get rid of Keradon. Yet he still came back and by then Zetara was long gone. We had to go up against him ourselves,” Dove said.

“Yeah, we were there for that part. Keradon escaped from oblivion with his buddies, Monchestra and Mindrone. We were lucky they were too weak to use Black magic, but their Dark magic was enough to bring us to our knees.” Max strutted proudly as he continued. “Good thing we were ready for ’em. The Min-Mon siblings ran for dear life. The entire Darkstar Council decimated in an hour. But I still don’t understand how Keradon died?”

He was proud of his achievement even though it didn’t entirely belong to him, but the death of Keradon puzzled him, just like the rest.

Max, Xavier and Carter weren’t around when the Guardians fought against Zetara. The two were among the many kids who were sent to Earth for their safety. They would join the squad much later when Keradon escaped from Oblivion. Xavier had been on the line just listening to others as he quietly worked on repairing his blaster.

“We were dealing with those siblings when Muzil went after Keradon, remember? Only she knows what happened to him but she doesn’t want anyone else to know. I wonder why? But I’m sure it wasn’t her doing,” Dove said.

“Obviously, Keradon was a big deal. No offence to Muzil’s power, but she was obviously no match for him,” Fleur said.

“You forget, she beat Zetara and Brittany, all by herself,” Dove laughed.

“Oh yeah, we forgot about Brittany. What happened to that Blondie?” Fleur said.

“Last we saw her, she was running off with those shadow creatures, looking just like one of the animals,” Dove joked.

Brittany had been Zetara’s protégé and Muzil’s arch enemy. She was about the same age as them, but her mind was the same kind of nasty as her mistress’s. When Zetara was busy playing a respectable principal at the Academy, Brittany, on her orders, was busy raging rampage around Sphere city on Equilium. She always showed up with some new kind of threat or challenge to the Guardians.

Brittany kept them busy in the city and back at the Academy, Zetara made them train and work hard to take her down. How the two fooled them really got on their nerves, especially Muzil’s.

For her, this was the biggest loss in regards to trust, she would never again trust anyone as much as she trusted Zetara. She used to think of her as a mentor and followed her every order, not knowing that the person she trusted the most was the one responsible for her troubles and would continue adding to it.

Dove realised that she had been standing since the call came and finally sat down on her bed. She was exhausted with worry. What was she going to do without her best friend? She had waited so long to finally see her again, but things didn’t seem to be going the way she wanted.

“Earth to Xavier!” Carter yelled.

“Carter!” Xavier shouted back as bumped his head under the table. He had gone down to pick up his wrench. “That was not funny!”

“Oh, sounds like he hit something,” Max said.

“Or fell off something!” Carter found his prank incredibly hilarious as he ironically himself fell off his chair laughing.

“And that! Sounds like karma,” Dove said.

“Just wait till I get my hands on you! I’ll toss you down the terrace!” Xavier exclaimed.

Xavier was from Xenon. He was the Cosmic Guardian. He could manipulate the heat, cosmic waves and radiations. He was much more sensible than the rest of his team and had a natural leadership instinct, though he would never admit it.

Xavier had always been partial on whether he should be a Guardian and suffered from the complexity that others were better than him. He was always positive and lively in front of his friends, but deep down he kept fighting off his doubts regarding himself.

“This reminds me of when Parker did that water bucket thing on the door for Dixie, and Beth ended up walking in it by mistake!” Max said. “She was so furious she hung him down from the balcony! Parker was screaming for dear life!”

The group broke into laughter. They were aware of the obstacles ahead, yet they never let fear wear them out. But perhaps recounting old events did just that. They grew silent. Because in remembering all the good times, they also remembered the people who had left them. How once a large group of friends had shrunk down to only a handful.

“You know what? I really miss everyone,” Max said at last.

“Me too,” Dove said. Xavier just sat still as he gazed at his phone. He missed everyone too, but more than that, he felt sorry for all the times he could have had with his friends if he hadn’t been on earth. It wasn’t his choice, but he always thought about how it would have been if he had grown up in his homeworld rather than in a world unknown to him. Sure, he had Max all the time, but still.

Max too, like Xavier, had little time with the others before the group broke up, but he cherished every little moment.

“Why don’t we try reaching out to the others?” Carter said.

“Who are we going to talk to? Muzil, Beth, Harry and Crimson are off doing God knows what and where. Parker barely leaves the Academy. Ashley and Madison are well…. you know how they are. Ben and Johnny haven’t left earth since the war ended and don’t keep in touch either. Everyone is split up,” Dove said.

“Well, there has to be something we can do? I mean the Trials are next week! I don’t expect a change in the results, so let’s get the group together!” Fleur said.

“That’s the spirit! Okay, now listen up! Xavier will fish out Ben and Johnny. Carter’s going to get the ego girls, and I’m going to go get Parker,” Max said. “We’ll meet up at the Headstate hall next week! Oh, and Dove, you get to dig up the others.”

“Why me?” Carter and Dove said in sync.

“Why do I have to go get Ashley and Madison?” Carter grumped.

“And I’ve already tried reaching the others. It’s no use. If they wanted to stay in touch, they would have,” Dove said.

“First of all, Carter, you’re doing this because they have nothing against you. And Dove, try getting something out of Cassie. She obviously knows where they are. Get them a message,” Max said.

“Fine,” the two responded to Max’s orders with a groan.

“Ok then, it’s settled. Next week it is!” Max said.

The group agreed to reunite soon. But how successful they would be in doing so? Only time will tell. The Council went through daily meetings before the first round of the trial to come up with a solution to the problem of Harmony.

The Council’s decision was observed with great anger by the people of Harmony. People would tear down the huge posters and notices put up for the Trials. Locals boycotted the event on their planet.

Not every member of the Council had agreed to this decision, but the majority agreed on it, thus it had to be accepted. But the majority of common civilians and the royal families did not agree with it at all, still, they had to carry out the instructions given to them. Such was the protocol; the Council’s decision could not be challenged.

But they were soon to learn that their decision required a major U-turn. Because in the world of magic, everything is not what it seems.