Prologue
The dark clouds outside turned and rumbled with thunder and lightning flashes. It was a dark beginning for a child to be born on this day. It was a day unlike any other days where children would be born on a sunny day with two smiling excited first time parents.
This beautiful and innocent child with an innocent heart would be destined for greatness no matter how cliché that sounded. The darkened path before this child would eventually split into two and she would have to choose which to walk upon. Misguided, confused, hated and feared by all, this particular child would become the strongest of the strong, the ruthless and the harshest while remaining exotically beautiful.
The newborn baby was wrapped in soft sheets. She cooed snuggling into comfort of a sad woman who tried to smile in the darkest of night. She knew who her husband was. He held a secret that only she knew. She loved him for who he was and tried to help. However, in the end, she could not prevent her fate. This fate was inevitable even for both the mother and the daughter.
This was Earth in the year 255 TA, or Terrian Alliance as it was short for. The new TA system was the set of years that followed the beginning of the new era after 2189. They still had the old system of years. The current year would be 2445.
The newborn would be born in the era as recorded in the year of 072445.255 TA in a secluded little place off the turnpike that was Yeltzburg, Pennsylvania. The exact date was July 29th. Outside of the hospital, the air was cold and wet as it continued to be dark. The newborn snuggled innocently in the arms of her sad mother.
Looking up, the baby sensed her mother’s distress and cried. The woman looked upon her child and gently shifted caressing her daughter. She began to rock her gently. Stroking her head, she spoke softly and gently into her ears, “Hush, hush my little Ashlyn. Have no fear little angel. I will keep you safe.”
The woman opened her mouth and began to sing sweetly. Her soft, low melody carried within the room as she sang the song her own mother once sang in time of distress. It was in the tune to an ancient song called Rock-a-bye baby,
Hush little one,
Hold on tight,
Sleep sweet dreams
And never fear darkness
Hush little one,
Let me rock gently,
Watch o’er you
And make sure lil gremlins stay far away
Look for light in darkness,
Never stray from path,
Be stout of heart and fierce of mind
Be fearless above all
Listen little one,
I will keep you safe
No matter where you are
Hush and sleep sweet dreams
Soon Ash’s dark, innocent eyes fluttered as she sucked her thumb. Her little finger rested on the tip of her nose. She gave into her tired energies falling asleep to both the thrumming melody and her mother’s rhythmic slow beating heart. The little baby began to dream. The room of the hospital was dimly lit. It was soundproofed from the outside as the thundering sounds of lighting and rain continued unheeded.
Beyond the thundering clouds and further deep in the universe away from Earth, an ancient evil sleeps. It was deep within the darkness light years from the Sol System. This ancient evil awaits the call of the one who would challenge them. It was a vision and a prophecy of things to come. This ancient written recorder chronicle would say the name Shiion. It was a beast.
It was a wretched misguided soul that will face the darkness. However, this prophecy stated that within the darkness is a guiding light. This light will be there for the beast. It will remain there both patient and waiting. Eventually, over time as all lights do, it will dim and become no more.
The fate of the universe rests on the one called beast. It would be the destroyer of worlds. Within it was a growing desire to bring about a change. The end result would be for the better or for worse. The chosen one does not know the destruction that will come and that it will be trapped between the choices it will make for the future. The fate of every being in the universe will rest upon it. The gods, the silent watchers, stay ever high above keeping their close eye on it. They see it in their vision that is the beast itself.
Two months passed into September. It would be the exact date of 092445.255 TA. The leaves fell. There was a chill in the air. The eyes of the watchdog stared from the porch. It was a Rottweiler pit bull cross breed type of male dog. This watchdog was big and muscular with extra sharp long canines. There was something off and different about this dog as it kept watch on its master’s territory.
Suddenly, the dog’s long pointed ears perked. It heard a car hitting the pavement of the driveway and driving on the gravel. It jerked as it growled. The sound was followed by a snarl and several barking as it rushed down the porch and chasing after the small black sedan. The sharp canines of the pitbull cross breed tore into the metal of the car and shredded it with ease. Sunlight hit the window as the car stopped briefly beside the porch. Its engine turned off.
The door unlocked and opened. The lightly tanned man with dark hair and dark eyes exited the car. Bending down, he offered his hand to his dog. The watchdog changed its mean demeanor into a happy one as it recognized its master. Its large size still came short by its master’s hips and James was a large man. Letting out a bark, it licked the man’s hand. The master responded while patting and rubbing the dog’s rough, muscular neck, “Anyone come uninvited, Keika?”
Keika barked several times. Satisfied, the man loudly whistled a command as he snapped his finger away from him. It obeyed and returned to its rounds of its master’s territory once again. The man closed the door and walked around to the passenger’s side. Opening the door, he offered his hand and responded, “Jani. Come. Let’s go.”
The woman seated on the passenger’s seat gave him a mocking look and smile. She stroked her newborn daughter and scolded lightly, “James my love. You still have a thing or two to learn about children. Here’s your daughter.”
The large man sighed as he nodded with a response offering his hands, “Of course. Allow me to take it.”
“Her,” she glared at her husband as she blew an exasperated sigh before adding, “and she has a name too, you know!”
“I,” James began with hesitation. He accepted his newborn daughter into his strong arm as he attempted an apology, “I am sorry Ashlyn. Come Jani. Allow me to make you dinner. It’s the least I can do for the wife of my daughter who went through many-”
He paused a bit looking at his dark eyed daughter while trying to find the proper English word. The big man finished, “difficulties to bring life into the world. It would be a whole new universe for her to explore.”
While caressing the newborn carefully within his arms gently, James looked back into the humorous eyes of his wife. He offered his free hand to her with a straightforward response, “Now love, will you please?”
Jani smiled and accepted his free hand. She gently rose to her feet. Touching James on the cheek, she kissed and embraced James on the lips for a moment. Touching the small, crisp forehead of her newborn daughter, she moved down to kiss her cranium and responded lightly, “Hmm, that’s better. I love you both my loves.”
Suddenly she felt this overwhelming rush of lightheadedness. Gripping the strong arm of her love, Jani steadied herself. James led her toward the door with his daughter in his hand. As Jani stood on her two feet barely, she took Jani off her husband’s arms. With two free hands, James opened the door for both his wife and daughter. Jani gave him another kiss on the cheek and walked through the doorway. James closed the door behind him lightly and locked it.
Jani walked along the hallway and turned to the living room. She carried her daughter along and began to sing to her the same song she always sang. Her head was washed over again with lightheadedness. Jani paused a bit before the chair to collect herself. However, she was feeling weaker by the minute. With no idea what was going on, Jani sang as she sat down on the chair and gazed gently at the innocent dark eyes of her two month old daughter.
When she finished her song, Jani Ashelia Sadi stood from the chair. The sunlight shone through the window and hit her form. She barely held her daughter when all of a sudden she froze. The mother stopped moving. No longer drawing breath, she uttered one final gasp. Her chest hardened and squeezed as she felt her heart stop.
With her mouth open and her face in mortal fear, Jani stopped breathing as her entire circulatory system shut down. She ceased all bodily movement and fell onto the floor dead. Ashlyn, her newborn daughter, cried out in pain as she hit the ground hard. Her distress echoed within the sunlit room as she clutched the not moving form of her mother.
