Guardian Huntsmen

Midnight

I took the hand and the man pulled me to my feet. I looked into his midnight eyes and he looked into my ocean blue ones.

"Looks like you're fighting an uphill battle, Sapphire."

"How do you know my name?"

He smiled. "I know everyone's, Sapphire. Even your girlfriend's, Ruby. Oh, is she quite the character!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Where am I?"

"You, my blue friend, are in the Void. A place of mystery and power. Your girlfriend's been here before."

I took a step away from him. "You are...?"

"I am the Outsider. Ruby and I've chatted several times before. The reason I've brought you here is to offer a gift."

"What kind of gift, and at what cost?" I did not trust him. (That's an understatement!)

"This gift allows you to hold power over those around you. What you will be able to do may be considered... unnatural. And for the price? There is no price. Just... amuse me."

I took a deep breath. "Fine."

He smiled. "I thought you'd say that."

A burning sensation started in my left hand and looking down, a black brand formed on the back of my hand. It itched like mad and a strange whispering howled in my ear. Gazing at my hand, I felt a strange power pulse through me.

"What is this power?"

Looking up, I saw that the Outsider was gone.

"What the-?"

Shaking my head, I tried out my new power and got through a difficult maze without a hitch. After going through that, I came across the Outsider simply gazing at a portal-like-thing. He turned around and looked me up and down.

"I have one last gift for you, Sapphire. The name 'Salem'. It is your job to investigate what it means. Farewell."

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*Gasp!*

Gasping for air, I returned to reality. Oryx was still trying to impose his will on me, but under my armor, my Mark glowed with the light of a billion stars. Forcing my body to move, I got up onto a knee and stared Oryx in his ugly face.

"If you want my will, you're gunna have to FIGHT for it!"

Drawing Destiny's Cry, I slashed Oryx across the chest, then swung my blade around and lodged it in his shoulder. He howled in pain, then pulled my blade out.

"You will die where you stand!"

We rushed forwards, blades locking. "Not gunna happen, rot breath!"

Oryx growled, then pressed harder. The Mark lit up and gave me the strength to challenge him. Yelling, I shoved him away, then swung down as hard as I could, chopping Oryx's arm off. He growled, then created a new arm from the strange power he controlled.

"You are an abomination! You will die under my blade, once and for all!" I chopped off his leg, only for him to make a new one.

Oryx let out a scream that could turn planets into ice, but I stood strong. Launching a flurry of blows, I cut Oryx to pieces, only for him to come back together by his power.

"Guardian! Are you okay?"

Peral, where have you been?

"Running from Vex, that's wh- HOLY CRAP YOU'RE FIGHTING ORYX!"

I bared my teeth and swung at Oryx's torso, cutting him in half, but he replaced his entire lower half with his sick witchcraft. He delt me a would-be-lethal blow to the midsection if I didn't have the power of the Void, but I did. His dark energy crawled through my body and entered my Mark, empowering me. My world flashing between black and white, I lunged at him, Destiny's Cry trailing behind me. Spinning and swinging, I drove my blade up Oryx's body and through the other side, cutting him unevenly.

Keeping my momentum, I swung my blade around and drove it into the top of his head and pushed it through, cutting him in half. Then, before he could heal his wounds, I grabbed part of his body with my left hand and closed my eyes, absorbing the power.

Destiny's Cry slipped out of my fingers as everything went white. My body hit the floor and I could no longer hear Peral panicking.

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"Welcome."

I opened my eyes to see a realm of Light. "Where am I?"

"You are in the Realm of Light, Guardian. no one has been able to enter this realm until now. Until you were born. You've been here once before, Sapphire Star, son of Spring Star and Maroon Star. Back when you couldn't remember."

I looked around, billions of voices from trillions of times whispering in this mysterious place. "What? Do you mean when I was born?"

"Precisely. Your connection to the Light is undeniable. Even if I were to be attacked and the Guardians to lose their Light, you will keep yours. It is how you can change those around you, give them a soul --or a different one-- and make them loyal to you and those you trust. There is only one being in the universes that can do that, and that one is you."

My eyes widened, then spun around. Behind me, a luminous being stood. "Are you..."

"The Traveler? Not exactly. 'Traveler'. 'Great Machine'. 'God'. These are just some of the names that have been thrown onto me. The one I prefer is 'The Bright One.' But I have taken up enough of your time, you must go and save the one you hold dear."

My eyes grew wide. "Ruby!"

"Yes. She is in grave danger. Only you can save her life."

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In a flash, I was back on the surface. Hearing gunshots in the distance, my pulse quickened and I began to run towards the fighting. The raid party was trying hard to fight back against a man coved in Darkness.

He sent a ball of energy at my friends, scattering them. Ruby flew towards him and he rabbed her neck with a smile.

NO!

I leaped out of my hiding spot, rushing to save her when the man spotted me. He smiled, held Ruby next to him and stared at me with his pure black eyes.

When he spoke, it was like he was broken-lost between realms. "You are too late."

Like she was nothing, the man broke Ruby's neck and her body went limp. He dropped her to the ground, then flicked a finger at me, a wave of pure Darkness rushing towards me.

The Bright One spoke in my ear. "You can stop his strikes! Focus on the Light and it shall protect you."

Closing my eyes, I imagined my Aura wrapping around me like a protective shield, then I weaved the Light into the cloak, causing a huge reaction I didn't know was possible. My Aura exploded in strength and when the wave hit me, I charged through, steaming.

The man floated back a little, shocked. He then snarled and tried hitting me with a beam of Darkness, but I shrugged it off like it wasn't there. I ran towards him and leaped up, using Light and Aura to power my jump.

Drawing a knife, I stabbed him in the heart, then pumped Light through my blade, causing him to burn into ashes from the inside out. Once he was dead, I let my knife drop as I rushed over to Ruby.

This was the last part of the Raid, FYI.

Did any of you expect me to do what I did at the end?

Yes?
No?

Comment which one!