Chapter Text
Twenty Years Ago…
The meeting was hurried- starting faster than any had prior. There were no cheery greetings, no questions about how their days had gone- not even anything directed towards the scorch marks someone (they all knew it was %@&$}) had made earlier that month.
Just… silence. Knowing, waiting, expecting. Expecting for $48@& to start the meeting, expecting them to say what they all knew was coming.
They didn’t have to wait long, as the moment they all were situated around the table- he spoke.
“We have an… issue to address today.” He began, standing up from his seat at the table head, wings flaring out behind him. “As you all know, the Watchers have been out to get us for a while, especially after we beat them to the Altar.”
Everyone murmured their agreements, tensing at the mention of the Watchers. The Watchers were their adversaries- and the ones a Prophecy said they were to destroy;
"Eighteen it takes to fulfill the tome,
Eighteen it takes to become a whole.
Eighteen Guardians- learned in their skill,
Eighteen Guardians- to best the Watcher’s own wills."
Now- seventeen of them sat around the table. The time for these Guardians was running low. Forty years they had been trying to best the Watchers- trying to protect the next Guardians from that burden. But they didn’t succeed. The Watchers had already killed one of their members, so that left them with no other choice.
“We have to pass it on.” $48@& said, his voice rising as he spoke, “If we don’t it would throw off the balance- one of the next Guardians will have found out their fate long before the rest. If we complete the ritual now it will only be a week’s difference.”
“Well, I for one agree with $48@&.” A new voice- €+%l¥- interjected. She usually spoke softly, but today her voice carried a strength to it that only showed when her passion was deep enough to speak out. “If we wait any longer it will only harm the next Guardians more.”
Nods of approval circled the table, just as $48@& looked up from his book. “Well, we can do it now. All in favor?”
Normally, the Guardians weren’t this formal. Normally it was a muttered “okay” here or a “maybe not” there, but today- while talking of the Last Resort- it was as official as ever.
Hands rose across the room, allowing the Last Resort to begin. One by one, the Guardians began disappearing from the table in flashes of light and darkness. Only one being remained, and that was a cat. A Familiar. One who would be deeply helpful for the future Guardian she was to find.
It came down to two. Two last Guardians, one nervous- one waiting for the other to go. $48@& was waiting, and 7(:&-9u¥ hesitating, although that wasn’t a surprise for $48@&. After all, he was the youngest. He had always been hesitant- had always been the follower. Always hesitating before leaping into the often untold venture.
“7(:-9u¥… you alright?” $48@& asked, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… I don’t know, $48@&, I know im the youngest and all but I feel like I didn’t exactly… I don’t know- live up to you all? Like… it felt like I slacked.”
After 7(:9u¥ muttered that sentence of self-deprivation, $48@& instantly berated him; “No! You always did amazing! Just because you’re the youngest doesn’t mean you were a bad Guardian- you were amazing! Please, trust me in this, okay?”
The two Guardians smiled at each other, content to pass on with the rest. In twin bursts of lights, they disappeared- red dust flitting around the spot 7(:9u¥ stood moments ago, and feathers circling the air previously around $48@&.
After each Guardian was gone, it was like they didn’t exist anymore. Yes the history books still mentioned them, but they themselves had been lost to the universe, their Guardianship being passed to children, who would grow and eventually learn their abilities.
Nothing happened when they were gone- all to say of it was a car accident and a newborn being safe even when it should have been fatal. Only one being knew of the Guardians existing at all outside of myth- and that was the Familiar prior mentioned, waiting for her future Guardian to arrive at the beach where she would wait- the future Guardian would have not a clue about why she was there… not for many years, at least.